Praveen K Nirmalan
A population based eye survey of older adults in Tirunelveli district of south India: blindness, cataract surgery, and visual outcomes
Aravind Eye Hospital
assess prevalence vision impairment blindness cataract surgery evaluate visual acuity outcomes cataract surgery south indian populationcluster sampling used randomly select cross sectional sample people 50 years age living tirunelveli district south india eligible subjects 28 clusters enumerated door door household survey visual acuity measurements ocular examinations performed selected site within clusters early 2000 principal cause visual impairment identified eyes presenting visual acuity 618 independent replicate testing quality assurance monitoring performed subjects reduced vision sample normal vision six study clustersa total 5795 people 3986 households enumerated 5411 9337 examined prevalence presenting best corrected visual acuity 618 eyes 594 757 respectively presenting vision 660 eyes definition blindness india found 110 46 best correction presenting blindness associated older age female sex illiteracy cataract principal cause blindness least one eye 706 blind people prevalence cataract surgery 118with estimated 565 cataract blind already operated surgical coverage inversely associated illiteracy female sex rural areas within cataract operated sample 317 presenting visual acuity 618 eyes 118 660 40 bilaterally operated 63 pseudophakic presenting vision 660 407 aphakic eyes 51 pseudophakic eyes best correction percentages 176 37 respectively refractive error including uncorrected aphakia main cause visual impairment cataract operated eyes vision 618 associated cataract surgery government opposed nongovernmentalprivate facilities age sex literacy area residence predictors visual outcomestreatable blindness particularly associated cataract refractive error remains significant problem among older adults south indian populations especially females illiterate living rural areas study needed better understand significant proportion cataract blind taking advantage free charge eye care services offered aravind eye hospital others district continuing increase cataract surgical volume reduce blindness emphasis must also placed improving postoperative visual acuity outcomes