Effect of postoperative nutrient management on macular edema and visual function following phacoemulsification for...

To evaluate the effects of postoperative nutrient management combined with phacoemulsification on macular edema and visual function recovery in elderly patients with age-related cataracts.

Patients who underwent phacoemulsification at Lishui Huaxia Eye Hospital between January 2022 and December 2024 were enrolled. After propensity score matching (PSM), 60 patients were assigned to each of the study and control groups. Clinical outcomes - including visual acuity, central macular thickness (CMT), total macular volume, incidence of macular edema, visual recovery time, intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal astigmatism, anterior chamber depth (ACD), adverse events, and patient-reported outcomes (sleep quality, pain, inflammation markers, quality-of-life scores) were evaluated and compared.

Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). At postoperative weeks 1 and 12, visual acuity was significantly better in the study group than in the control group (P<0.05). At week 12, the study group exhibited significantly lower CMT (P<0.05), reduced total macular volume (P<0.05), lower incidence of macular edema (1.67% vs. 10.00%, P<0.05), improved visual field mean deviation (P<0.05), and shorter visual recovery time (P<0.05). IOP was also significantly lower in the study group (P<0.05), corneal astigmatism was reduced (P<0.05), and ACD was greater (P<0.05). Patient-reported outcomes favored the study group (all P<0.05). Moreover, the overall postoperative complication rate was significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group (10.00% vs. 23.33%, P=0.05).

Postoperative nutrient management combined with phacoemulsification significantly reduces the incidence of macular edema and accelerates visual function recovery in elderly patients with age-related cataracts.