Prompt access to cataract surgery is vital for preventing falls in older people

There is clearly an unmet need for timely, equitable access to cataract surgery in Australia

Vision problems and falls are common in older people, particularly those living in disadvantaged circumstances, and many people often experience both problems.1 In this issue of the MJA, Keay and colleagues2 report findings from the FOCUS study, which aimed to assess the impact of cataract surgery on the incidence of falls in older people. Their longitudinal study, which included a total of 409 participants, assessed the incidence of falls before and after first and second eye cataract surgery in people aged 65 years or more, a group at particular risk of falls. For the 118 people who underwent second eye surgery and participated in all follow‐ups, the authors found a large reduction in age‐ and sex‐adjusted fall incidence following second eye, but not first eye, cataract surgery.