Life quality assessment of patients after phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract extraction Avaliação da qualidade de vida de pacientes submetidos à facoemulsificação ou extração extracapsular de catarata

INTRODUCTION A cataract is characterized by clouding that develops in the crys­ talline lens of the eye or its envelope and varies from a slight to a complete opacity that can obstruct the passage of light. Cataracts are specifically defined as any opacification in one or more layers of the crystalline lens that diffracts light and causes impaired vision. Cata­ ract is the main cause of curable blindness and represents a public health problem that negatively affects patient quality of life. The blindness caused by cataract incapacitates the individual, increases dependency, decreases the patient’s social condition, and results in early professional retirement. Vision recovery facilitated by cataract surgery results in social and economic benefits to the individual, their family, and the community as a whole. In the United States, approximately 1.5 million individuals undergo surgery for cataracts every year. According to the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology (CBO), approximately 2% of the Brazilian population aged 60 years is affected by impaired vision due to cataracts. Assessing the quality of life after public health procedures is important. In the field of ophthalmology, maximum emphasis is pla ced on visual improvement in patients who have undergone ca­ taract surgery using instruments for measuring the quality of life and visual function. Packer et al. described the term visual function as Life quality assessment of patients after phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract extraction