Predictors of time to recovery from cataract surgery among cataract patients at Menelik II Comprehensive Specialized Hospital : a retrospective follow up study
Tsegaw, Gininu Wendmeneh ; Dea, Yilma Chisha and Mengesha, Melkamu Merid LU
(2025)
In BMC Ophthalmology
25(1).
- Abstract
Background: Cataracts are the leading cause of reversible blindness globally, disproportionately affecting populations in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, cataracts remain a significant public health concern. Despite the effectiveness of cataract surgery in restoring vision, information on recovery time and its predictors remain limited. The aim of this study was to assess time to recovery and its predictors among patients undergoing cataract. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 459 cataract patients who underwent surgery between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Data were randomly extracted from their medical records between June 1 and August 15, 2024. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the... (More)
Background: Cataracts are the leading cause of reversible blindness globally, disproportionately affecting populations in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, cataracts remain a significant public health concern. Despite the effectiveness of cataract surgery in restoring vision, information on recovery time and its predictors remain limited. The aim of this study was to assess time to recovery and its predictors among patients undergoing cataract. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 459 cataract patients who underwent surgery between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Data were randomly extracted from their medical records between June 1 and August 15, 2024. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival probabilities and compare groups, with significant differences tested using the log-rank test. The Weibull regression with the inverse Gaussian frailty was applied following a goodness-of-fit test to identify predictors of time to recovery. Results are presented as adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were declared significant at P-value < 0.05. Results: we reviewed 459 patient cards, and 368 (80.17%, 95% CI: 76.26–83.58%) had recovered from a cataract surgery over 7,919.28 person-weeks. The overall incidence rate of recovery was at 46.47 per 1,000 persons per week (95% CI: 41.95–51.47). The median recovery time was at 18.14 weeks (IQR: 12.29–24, 95% CI: 17.14–18.86). Age over 60 years (AHR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07–0.96), urban residence (AHR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.15–2.70), preoperative visual acuity (medium: AHR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.23–3.18; high: AHR = 5.83, 95% CI: 1.72–19.77), comorbidities (ocular: AHR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15–0.61; systemic: AHR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22–0.75), type of surgery (phacoemulsification: AHR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.06–3.67; intracapsular cataract extraction: AHR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03–0.89), and complications (intraoperative: AHR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.12–0.71; postoperative: AHR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06–0.47), and surgeries performed by an ophthalmologist (AHR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.80–6.55) were statistically significant predictors of time to recovery from cataract surgery. Conclusion: The median recovery time was shorter than in previous local studies but longer than in developed countries. Improved preoperative assessment, better comorbidity management, and minimizing complications may contribute to better recovery outcomes. The use of phacoemulsification and procedures performed by experienced ophthalmologists were associated with shorter recovery times, but further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. Personalized care approaches are recommended to optimize postoperative recovery.
(Less)
- author
- Tsegaw, Gininu Wendmeneh
; Dea, Yilma Chisha
and Mengesha, Melkamu Merid
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Cataract surgery, Ethiopia, Predictors of, Time to recovery from cataract surgery
- in
- BMC Ophthalmology
- volume
- 25
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 246
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:40281445
- scopus:105003824921
- ISSN
- 1471-2415
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12886-025-04053-4
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4ee5f4db-24cd-48f9-bbaf-445cd72eb3ae
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-14 11:44:59
- date last changed
- 2025-07-14 11:46:21
@article{4ee5f4db-24cd-48f9-bbaf-445cd72eb3ae,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Cataracts are the leading cause of reversible blindness globally, disproportionately affecting populations in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, cataracts remain a significant public health concern. Despite the effectiveness of cataract surgery in restoring vision, information on recovery time and its predictors remain limited. The aim of this study was to assess time to recovery and its predictors among patients undergoing cataract. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 459 cataract patients who underwent surgery between January 1 and December 31, 2023. Data were randomly extracted from their medical records between June 1 and August 15, 2024. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival probabilities and compare groups, with significant differences tested using the log-rank test. The Weibull regression with the inverse Gaussian frailty was applied following a goodness-of-fit test to identify predictors of time to recovery. Results are presented as adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were declared significant at P-value < 0.05. Results: we reviewed 459 patient cards, and 368 (80.17%, 95% CI: 76.26–83.58%) had recovered from a cataract surgery over 7,919.28 person-weeks. The overall incidence rate of recovery was at 46.47 per 1,000 persons per week (95% CI: 41.95–51.47). The median recovery time was at 18.14 weeks (IQR: 12.29–24, 95% CI: 17.14–18.86). Age over 60 years (AHR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07–0.96), urban residence (AHR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.15–2.70), preoperative visual acuity (medium: AHR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.23–3.18; high: AHR = 5.83, 95% CI: 1.72–19.77), comorbidities (ocular: AHR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15–0.61; systemic: AHR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22–0.75), type of surgery (phacoemulsification: AHR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.06–3.67; intracapsular cataract extraction: AHR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03–0.89), and complications (intraoperative: AHR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.12–0.71; postoperative: AHR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06–0.47), and surgeries performed by an ophthalmologist (AHR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.80–6.55) were statistically significant predictors of time to recovery from cataract surgery. Conclusion: The median recovery time was shorter than in previous local studies but longer than in developed countries. Improved preoperative assessment, better comorbidity management, and minimizing complications may contribute to better recovery outcomes. The use of phacoemulsification and procedures performed by experienced ophthalmologists were associated with shorter recovery times, but further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. Personalized care approaches are recommended to optimize postoperative recovery.</p>}},
author = {{Tsegaw, Gininu Wendmeneh and Dea, Yilma Chisha and Mengesha, Melkamu Merid}},
issn = {{1471-2415}},
keywords = {{Cataract surgery; Ethiopia; Predictors of; Time to recovery from cataract surgery}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{BMC Ophthalmology}},
title = {{Predictors of time to recovery from cataract surgery among cataract patients at Menelik II Comprehensive Specialized Hospital : a retrospective follow up study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12886-025-04053-4}},
doi = {{10.1186/s12886-025-04053-4}},
volume = {{25}},
year = {{2025}},
}