Research
grants
Blue Mountains Eye Study
Retinal Vascular Signs
[Cataract Surgery & AMD]
Sydney Myopia Study
Sydney Paediatric Eye Disease Study
In the media
Cataract Surgery & AMD
This study, which commenced in 2004, involves the recruitment of patients undergoing cataract surgery at a large public hospital (Westmead Hospital) and in private ophthalmologists rooms. Patients are examined pre-operatively and then re-examined at specified intervals post-operatively to determine whether the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) increases following cataract surgery. Pooled data from two large population-based studies in Australia and USA (Blue Mountains Eye Study and Beaver Dam Eye Study) suggested at least a 3-fold higher risk of progression to late AMD after cataract surgery, taking into account age, smoking and the pre-operative level of early AMD signs.
In the first year of the Study, methods of recruitment and study questionnaires were finalised and to date, almost 1000 patients have been recruited from Westmead Hospital and private ophthalmologist rooms. All participants recruited have had baseline retinal photographs taken pre-operatively as well as at one-month post-operatively. These participants will be followed at 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery, with further retinal photographs to be taken. In 2005-6, we will be concurrently conducting baseline recruitment, as well as the 1-, 6- and 12-month post-operative follow up visits.
We have also conducted a parallel study following patients aged 60 years or older who had cataract surgery performed during the period July 2001-June 2003 at Westmead Hospital, in order to assess the short-term risk of AMD after cataract surgery in this hospital-based cohort. This study was completed in December 2004. Follow-up examinations, including retinal photographs to document the state of the macula, were performed on 75% of all eligible patients operated on during this period. These retinal photographs have now been graded for AMD signs and data analysis and manuscript preparation is currently underway.
