01549nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653000900065653001300074653002400087653001100111653001100122653001200133653000900145653001600154653003200170653001800202100001800220700001400238245004200252300001100294490000700305050002000312520091300332022001401245       1988                            d  c1988 Jun10aAdult10aAged10aCataract10aCataract Extraction10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aPostoperative Complications10aVisual Acuity1 aSuryawanshi N1 aRichard J00aCataract surgery on leprosy patients.  a238-420 v56  aSURYAWANSHI19983 a<p>All patients who had cataract surgery at the Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre, Karigiri, India, between January 1979 and April 1985 were studied to find out the outcome of that surgery. These patients included 291 leprosy cases and 89 nonleprosy cases. Postoperative complications were slightly higher among leprosy patients compared to the nonleprosy cases. Visual recovery was marred by preoperative corneal opacities in some of the leprosy patients. Eyes with chronic insidious type of iridocyclitis did not produce any devastating results postoperatively. Patients whose skin smears were still positive for leprosy bacilli did not show any major complication. All leprosy patients should be offered the benefit of cataract surgery for restoring sight because blindness in leprosy would mean a double handicap if they are already suffering from insensitive, deformed hands and feet.</p>  a0148-916X