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Nonagenarians at no greater risk for cataract surgery complications
Ophthalmology. 2011;118(7):1229–1235.
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A study suggested that cataract patients who are 90 years of age or older may not be at any higher risk for ocular complications than patients in their 80s.
In a retrospective cohort study of 554 nonagenarians and 11,407 octogenarians who had undergone cataract surgery through the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, there was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative or postoperative complications risk.
Diabetes mellitus was the most common systemic comorbidity for both groups, and age-related macular degeneration was the most common ocular comorbidity for both groups. Most systemic comorbidities were more prevalent in octogenarians, while nonagenarians had a higher rate of ocular comorbidities. Vitreous loss, posterior capsular tear and posterior capsular opacification were the most common intraoperative and postoperative complications for both groups, the study authors said.
“Nonagenarians relative to octogenarians are not at increased risk of ocular complications from cataract surgery in the [Veterans Health Administration],” the study authors said.