Second eye cataract surgery: perceptions of a population assisted at a university hospital.

OBJECTIVE To identify daily life difficulties perceived by patients suffering from senile cataract before and after second eye cataract surgery. METHODS Longitudinal prospective study with 84 patients consecutively seen within the framework of the Cataract Project, with visual acuity equal to or higher than 20/30 in the pseudophakic eye, and equal to or lower than 20/40 with the best possible optical correction in the cataractous eye. A questionnaire was applied during an interview. RESULTS Before surgery, 60.7% complained about visual impairment (moderate or marked); after surgery, 92.8% had no difficulty. Routine activities, mobility, and leisure activities were significantly altered after surgery (P =.001). CONCLUSION According to the patients' perceptions, there was a significant reduction in visual difficulties after second eye cataract surgery.