Assessment of post-operative change in vision function among patients with cataract in a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata

Cataracts are the leading cause of global blindness, severely impacting vision and quality of life. Cataract surgery is a highly effective and cost-efficient intervention to restore sight. Understanding changes in vision function and associated factors post-surgery is crucial for comprehensive patient care. This hospital-based observational study aimed to measure baseline and post-operative changes in vision function, and identify factors associated with these changes, among cataract patients at a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata, India. This hospital based observational study was conducted from December 2024 to May 2025 among 64 adult cataract patients. Data were collected at baseline and at the first post-operative visit two weeks later using a pre-designed pre-tested semi-structed questionnaire incorporating the IND-VFQ33 (general, psychological, visual function domains). Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata 12.1 wherein Shapiro Wilk test was done for assessing normality of data followed by paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Participants had a mean age of 64.7 years and (SD ± 8.5). Significant improvements (p < 0.001) were observed across all domains of IND-VFQ33 scale. 98.4% in general functioning domain, 90.6% in psychological functioning domain and 93.8% in visual function domain. Cataract surgery substantially improves patients’ vision, general functioning, and psychological well-being.