Extra-Ocular Muscle Weakness After Cataract Surgery and Effects on Quality of Life

Abstract

Background: Even the cataract is known as minor surgery, but its post-operative complication can affect the patient’s daily life activities. Present study was designed to find out the post-operative complication related to extra-ocular muscle weakness after cataract surgery and its effects on activities of daily life. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Institute of Ophthalmology LUMHS and Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology. The data was taken from 100 patients undergoing cataract surgery. The inclusion criteria were both genders (male and female), age >30 years and the patient with cataract surgery. The post-operative complications and the post-surgical quality of life were measured in follow-up. The quality of life is measured by asking questions about reading difficulties in small prints, fine handwork like sewing, knitting, reading newspapers books or computer screens, recognizing people from a distance, taking part in sports and watching television. Results; Fifty percent of participants reported dryness after cataract surgery followed by lacrimation (48%) and the majority of them had redness after cataract surgery. The quality of life in females had been affected due to complications of post-cataract surgery. Less than half the participants had complications in extraocular muscles after cataract surgery among them, 35% had reported difficulty moving the eye upward, difficulty moving the eye downward (26%) and difficulty moving the eye upward and outward(22%). Conclusion The complications after cataract surgery affect the quality of life. The extraocular muscle after cataract surgery is affected in about twenty percent of patients. The quality of life of female participants is affected more than male participants.