Long-term outcomes of surgical treatment for cataract and asteroid hyalosis

Aim – to assess long-term surgical treatment outcomes and subjective level of satisfaction in patients with cataract and asteroid hyalosis. Material and methods. The study involved 120 patients (120 eyes) diagnosed with cataract and asteroid hyalosis. During the study, the patients were randomly assigned into 3 equivalent groups of 40 people each, depending on the surgical treatment method. Group I was formed of patients after phacovitrectomy through posterior capsulorhexis, group II included patients after total three-port phacovitrectomy, group III - patients after cataract phacoemulsification. Before the surgery, on the day of discharge, 1, 3 and 6 months after the operation, all patients received standard ophthalmological check-up and answered validated visual function questionnaire "The Visual Function test" (VF-14) assessing their subjective perception of life quality. Results. Visual acuity was comparable in all groups up to 1-3 months after surgery. The subjective level of satisfaction was significantly higher in patients after phacovitrectomy (groups I and II), regardless of the time passed after the operation. Some patients of group III applied for surgical treatment again due to unsatisfactory results of the previous operation. Conclusion. In patients with cataract with underlying vitreous destruction in the form of asteroid hyalosis, it is recommended to perform phacovitrectomy in order to achieve high functional result, as well as to improve the patient's subjective feeling of the life quality.