Prevalence of postoperative complications in manual small-incision cataract surgery patients and its association with risk factors: a prospective cohort study in a tertiary eye care hospital

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of postoperative complications in patients undergoing Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) and to assess the associations of these complications with risk factors such as age, high myopia, and diabetes mellitus. This research sought to identify the most common postoperative complications and evaluate the prevalence of blindness due to these complications. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in GMCH Srikakulam over two months. The study included 100 patients who had undergone MSICS for senile cataracts. Patients were evaluated postoperatively for complications, and the presence of risk factors was recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and SAS software, employing a multivariate regression model to identify significant associations between risk factors and complications. Results: Out of 100 patients, 44 experienced postoperative complications. The most common complication was corneal edema, and no cases of blindness were reported. Age was found to be significantly associated with corneal edema, striate keratopathy, and posterior capsular opacity (PCO), while diabetes mellitus and high myopia were not significantly associated with the complications observed. Conclusions: The study concluded that corneal edema is the most prevalent postoperative complication following MSICS, with older age being a significant risk factor. Improved surgical techniques and better training could reduce these complications. However, additional studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand the impact of diabetes mellitus and high myopia on postoperative outcomes.