Axial length and age at cataract surgery

Purpose: To examine the relationship between the axial length of the eye and age at surgery for cataract. Setting: Postgraduate teaching hospital. Methods: A retrospective review of a consecutive series of 1776 patients older than 40 years was performed. The patient's age at first-eye surgery, axial length, and preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuities were recorded. Linear regression analysis was performed using the age at time of cataract surgery as the dependent variable. Results: Data were available for 1576 of 1670 eyes eligible for inclusion. There was strong evidence of a weak association between a decrease in age at surgery with an increase in axial length (P<.001). The mean patient age at surgery was 74 years for eyes with an axial length less than 25.0 mm, 67 years for eyes with an axial length between 25.0 mm and 30.0 mm, and 61 years for eyes with axial length greater than 30.0 mm. Conclusion: An increase in the axial length of the eye was associated with a lower mean age at time of cataract surgery.