Cataract Surgery Is Associated with a Higher Rate of Photodynamic Therapy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose To investigate the association between cataract surgery and the rate of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Observational population-based retrospective case–control study. Participants All members in a district of the largest health maintenance organization (HMO) in Israel > 50 years old on January 1, 2001, who did not terminate their membership through May 31, 2005 (139 894 members). Methods All PDT procedures for AMD performed in the study population between January 1, 2001 and May 31, 2005 (283 patients) and all cataract surgeries performed between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003 (5913 patients) were documented. We extracted clinical information from the chronic disease registry of the HMO as well as demographic and socioeconomic information. For each patient that underwent cataract surgery, 5 HMO members matched in age, gender, chronic diseases (systemic hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipemia, and ischemic heart disease), place of residence, country of birth and socioeconomic status, who did not undergo cataract surgery, were randomly chosen as controls (n = 29 565). Main Outcome Measures The rate for undergoing PDT at different time periods after cataract surgery. Results Fifty (0.85%) cataract patients and 94 control cases (0.32%) underwent PDT after cataract surgery ( P