Data from: Outcomes of cataract surgery in urban and rural population in the South Indian State of Andhra Pradesh: Rapid Assessment of Visual Impairment (RAVI) Project

Objective: To assess the visual outcomes after cataract surgery among
urban and rural population aged ?40 years in the South India state of
Andhra Pradesh. Methods: A population based cross-sectional study was
conducted in which 7800 subjects were sampled from two rural and one urban
location. Visual Acuity was assessed and eye examination were performed by
trained personnel. A questionnaire was used to collect personal and
demographic information, and history of cataract surgery. Blindness and
moderate Visual Impairment (MVI) was defined as presenting VA <6/60
and <6/18 to 6/60 in the better eye respectively. Results: In
total, 7378 (94.6%) were examined. Of these, 1228 eyes of 870 individuals
were operated for cataract. The mean age of operated subjects was 63.7
years (SD: 10.7 years). In total, 56.3% of those operated were women, 76%
were illiterate and 42% of them were using spectacles after cataract
surgery. Even after surgery, 12.2% of the operated eyes had MVI and
blindness was seen in 14.7% of the eyes. A significantly higher proportion
of subjects in urban area had good outcome as compared to those in the
rural area (p=0.01). Uncorrected refractive error (58.7%) was the leading
cause of MVI, and posterior segment disease (34.3%) was the leading cause
of blindness. On applying multiple logistic regression, risk factors for
poor outcomes were age ? 70 years (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3 - 2.8), rural
residence (OR: 1.3, 95% CI:1.0 - 1.8) and presence of aphakia ( OR: 8.9,
95% CI: 5.7 - 13.8). Conclusions: Post cataract surgery, refractive errors
remain an important correctable cause of MVI, in the south Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh. The correction of refractive errors is required to provide
good visual recovery and achieve the benefit of cataract surgery.