Purpose: To assess the visual outcome and safety of simultaneous bilateral cataract extraction.
Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's Hospital, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Methods: Simultaneous bilateral cataract extraction was performed in 288 eyes of 144 patients over 10 years in a single department in selected cases. Case notes were retrospectively analyzed for final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraoperative and postoperative complication rates.
Results: The final BCVA was 6/9 or better in 87.0% of eyes. The incidence of intraoperative complications was 2.42%. These included posterior capsule rupture without vitreous loss (0.69%) and with vitreous loss (1.04%). Postoperative complications occurred in 10.05% of eyes and included raised intraocular pressure (IOP) (3.82%), iris prolapse (0.69%), uveitis (0.69%), and suture abscess (0.35%). There were no major bilateral complications such as endophthalmitis or corneal decompensation.
Conclusion: The outcome of simultaneous bilateral cataract extraction was comparable to that of single-eye cataract surgery, indicating that the procedure is safe under strict surgical protocol and beneficial in selected cases.