Predictors of functional vision changes after cataract surgery: the PROVISION study

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether time-to-treatment, sex, age, preoperative functional vision scores, education, and ocular comorbidities predict change in functional vision pre- to postoperatively in patients receiving cataract surgery. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and forty-three cataract patients at the Hamilton Regional Eye Institute. METHODS: Participants 18 years or older scheduled to undergo cataract surgery completed the Catquest-9SF functional vision questionnaire on the day of their surgery and were mailed a survey 2-3 months postoperatively. Multivariate linear regression was used to determine the ability of predictors to explain variability in functional vision change between questionnaire administrations. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-six patients completed both baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Mean age of the cohort was 73.8 ± 8.1 years. Most patients were female (59.6%), had cataract surgery performed for the first time (66.9%), and had spent a mean time of 20.3 ± 20.7 weeks waiting for surgery. Functional vision improved in 83.7% of patients. The mean baseline Catquest-9SF score was the only significant predictor of functional vision improvement (adjusted R(2) = 0.47; F1,159 = 144.6; p < 0.001). Controlling for other variables, functional vision improved by 0.74 logits when mean baseline survey score increased by 1 logit. CONCLUSIONS: In most patients, functional vision improved after cataract surgery. Mean baseline Catquest-9SF score was a moderate predictor of the observed improvement.