Cataract – an opacification of the lens – is a leading cause of blindness around the world. The only treatment for cataracts is surgically removing and replacing the opaque lens.

Cataract surgery is the most popular elective (non-emergent) surgery in the world. Approximately 60K procedures are performed in Israel per year, about 1,300 at Sheba. The number of surgical procedures will increase in the next few years due to the population’s aging and a demand for optimal quality of living in old age.

The cataract service has been compiling patient information under the PROMS program since 2015. Patients completed two questionnaires, pre and post-operative, a general quality of life questionnaire (Promise Global 10) that reflects general information about the patient’s physical and emotional condition and a vision questionnaire (CATQUEST-9SF), providing information on visual functioning and quality.

Every question on the questionnaire is rated and each completed questionnaire is issued a weighted average. The information underwent MCID (Minimal Clinically Important Difference) statistical analysis, reflecting the minimal quantitative change that can be considered clinically significant.

The details that we publish reflect the post-surgical change in measures that the patients rated. They reflect the surgery’s impact on the patients’ vision, as reported by them.

Below are the results of the vision test taken from the CATQUEST-9SF questionnaire, as conducted 1-3 months after the cataract surgery at Sheba. The final outcome of the surgery can be expected within this timeframe.

According to the graph, the vast majority of patients, 76%, improved beyond the MCID as compared to their pre-operative condition.

It is important to note that many patients suffer from other ophthalmological comorbidities that might restrict their sight potential. Therefore, although the surgery is technically successful, some patients might not experience improved vision due to another problem with their eye.

Results based on data from 2015 to 2022: