Abstract

Aim: To assess visual outcome and complication rates in patients who underwent Phacoemulsification for cataract at Menilik II Referral Eye Hospital and Biruh Vision Specialized Eye Care Center, Addis Ababa. Study Design and Methods: A Prospective Interventional Study assessing visual outcome in 262 eyes of 240 patients who had Phacoemulsification with foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation done for cataract by 3 different Ophthalmic Surgeons. Visual acuity was assessed pre-operatively, on the first Post-operative week and fourth to sixth Post-operative weeks. Refraction was done the fourth to sixth -operative weeks. Results: Good visual outcome of 6/18 or better was obtained in 90.5%, 93.9% at first and four to six postoperative weeks respectively. Best corrected visual acuity of 6/18 or better was achieved in more than 96.9% at four to six postoperative periods. Overall Intra-operative & Post-operative Complication rates were 6.1% and 4.18% respectively. Poor outcome was seen in 2 cases that developed Pseudophakic Bullous Keratopathy (PBK) after surgery. Conclusion: The study has shown that Phacoemulsification gives us good postoperative visual acuity at the immediate and intermediate postoperative intervals. It has also shown that the procedure has low intra-op and post-op complication rates.