Uncomplicated Cataract Surgery and Neovascular Conversion of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Fifteen-Year Follow-Up...

To evaluate the impact of cataract surgery on neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) conversion over a 15-year follow-up period.

This 15-year retrospective study on dry AMD patients compared Group A (cataract surgery) and Group B (no surgery). It assessed nAMD conversion rates, mean logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and final central macular thickness (CMT) changes. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests evaluated the impact of cataract surgery on time to conversion.

This study included 73 eyes from 46 patients, with a mean baseline age of 68.78 ± 8.62 years. Among them, 31 (67.39%) were female. Final analyses comprised 43 eyes in Group A and 30 eyes in Group B. Group A had a higher baseline age (70.3 ± 8.58 vs. 65.6 ± 7.24; P = 0.01), but baseline BCVA was similar (0.26 ± 0.33 vs. 0.29 ± 0.40; P = 0.61). The nAMD conversion rate showed no difference (32.55% vs. 36.66%; P = 0.491), as well as mean age at conversion (77.5 ± 8.10 vs. 77 ± 3.66; P = 0.80). The mean interval of conversion from cataract surgery was 5.24 ± 3.22 years. Final logMAR BCVA (0.78 ± 0.73 vs. 0.8 ± 0.76; P = 0.61) and mean CMT at final follow-up (167.6 ± 77.26 vs. 187 ± 85.19; P = 0.90) were also similar. The log-rank test showed no association between cataract surgery and conversion rate (P = 0.789).

The present study did not find a significant difference in conversion from dry to wet AMD between patients who underwent cataract surgery and who did not. No significant difference was noted in the age at the time of conversion between the two groups.