Visual recovery and predictors of visual prognosis after managing traumatic cataracts in 555 patients

The aim was to evaluate the visual recovery after managing traumatic cataracts and determine the predictors of a better visual prognosis.

This was a prospective study. We enrolled patients with specific inclusion criteria, examined their eyes to review the comorbidities due to trauma, performed surgery for traumatic cataracts, and implanted lenses. The patients were reexamined 6 weeks postoperatively. We divided the cases of traumatic cataract into two groups, the "open globe" (Group 1) and "closed globe" (Group 2) groups, according to the ocular trauma based on the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System (BETTS) and compared the determinants of visual acuity.

Our cohort of 555 eyes with traumatic cataracts included 394 eyes in Group 1 and 161 in Group 2. Six weeks postoperatively, the visual acuity in the operated eye was >20/60 in 193 (48%) and 49 (29%) eyes in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.002, ANOVA). At follow-up, >20/60 vision was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 0.85-3.02). Overall 242 (43.5%) eyes gained a final visual acuity of >20/60.

Open globe injury has a favorable prognosis for satisfactory (>20/60) visual recovery after the management of traumatic cataracts.