The effectiveness of cataract surgery. A retrospective study.

The outcome of intracapsular cataract extraction seen from the patients' point of view and patients' statements of visual function were obtained by questionnaires to 120 patients one year after the operation. Comparison to visual acuity at discharge after surgery was done. The results indicate that today cataract extraction is very successful in improving vision, visual function and quality of life. The utilization of the visual improvement, however, is not always optimal; e.g. 39% of those patients, who according to visual acuity at discharge should have normal reading capacities, do not or cannot utilize this ability. Many circumstances can be presumed to be responsible for this discrepancy, but further studies are needed for elucidation of these problems.