Pre-operative psychiatric morbidity in people undergoing cataract surgery

Background. The aim of our research was to examine the impact of depressive symptomatology and cognitive impairment on visual function and symptoms in patients with cataract.

Material and methods. Demographic details, ophthalmological details, Snellen acuity, cataract symptoms, visual function, depressive symptomatology, cognitive impairment and quality of life were measured in 72 elderly subjects attending the pre-assessment cataract clinic at the Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishops Stortford, England.

Results. Subjects with depressive symptomatology were significantly more affected by symptoms of cataract (Spearman = 0.039, p<0.05) and had poorer visual functioning (Spearman = 0.023, p<0.05) than their non-depressed counterparts, despite no significant difference in visual acuity between the two groups. There were no significant differences for subjects with cognitive impairment and cataract symptoms (Spearman = 0.700, NS) or visual functioning (Spearman = 0.158, NS).

Conclusions. The study supports the hypothesis that depressive symptomatology is related to pre-operative cataract symptoms and visual functioning, but did not confirm that cognitive impairment was related to pre-operative cataract symptoms or level of visual function.