EXTENDED REPORT Impact of cataract surgery on health-related quality of life in nursing home residents

Aim: To assess the impact of cataract surgery in nursing home residents on health-related quality of life, as compared to those who have cataracts but who do not undergo surgery. Methods: A prospective cohort study enrolled 30 nursing home residents (>60 years old) who had cataracts and underwent cataract surgery, and evaluated vision-targeted and generic health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms before and approximately 4 months after surgery. This cataract surgery group was compared to 15 nursing home residents who had cataracts but who did not have surgery, over the same timeframe. Results: Visual acuity for near and distance and contrast sensitivity improved following cataract surgery (p,0.001). Adjusting for age differences in the two groups, the cataract surgery group exhibited significant score improvement in the general vision (p = 0.005), reading (p = 0.001), psychological distress (p = 0.015), and social interaction (p = 0.033) subscales of the Nursing Home Vision-targeted Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire and the VF-14 (p = 0.004). There were no group differences in the SF-36, Geriatric Depression Scale or the Cataract Symptom Score. Conclusion: Nursing home residents who underwent cataract surgery because of functional problems experienced significant improvements in their vision-targeted health-related quality of life, in addition to dramatically improved vision.