Importance of Multifocal Intraocular Lenses in The Elderly Population
Author(s): Ibrahim Sahbaz
Background: Vision rehabilitation in elderly populations.
Objective: We aimed to evaluate potential factors affecting the visual quality and other parameters in the selection of appropriate intraocular lenses in cataract surgery for patients with senile cataract. In addition, we evaluated the type of intraocular lenses optimal for cataract surgeries in elderly patients and attempted to analyze the significance of visual rehabilitation without glasses to improve the quality-of-life of elderly patients who are unable to use glasses.
Method: We retrospectively investigated the records of 49 eyes from 49 patients who underwent cataract surgery for senile cataract during 2014–2015. Preoperative and postoperative pupil sizes were measured using The Oasis brand of pupillometer, and changes in the pupil size were statistically analyzed. Distribution of variables was analyzed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The Wilcoxon test was used for repeated measurements. Study data was analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 program.
Results: Of all patients, 32 were males and 17 were females (age, 48–81 years). A significant decrease in the pupil size was postoperatively noted (p < 0.05). The mean preoperative pupil size decreased to 4.1 ± 0.9 mm from 4.9 ± 1.0 mm during the first postoperative month.
Conclusion: Cataract is usually related to aging. Multifocal intraocular lenses (MIOLs) are not or only slightly affected by the pupil size and enable the elderly to meet their daily needs without depending on glasses and, thus, improve their quality-of-life after cataract surgery. Thus, we recommend MIOLs that function independent of pupil size as appropriate for cataract surgeries in elderly patients.