Cataract extraction In patients with no self-assessed visual problems :a critical evaluation of 11,904 cataract extractions

Session Details

Session Title: Cataract Surgery Outcomes and Practice Styles

Session Date/Time: Wednesday 09/09/2015 | 08:00-09:30

Paper Time: 08:50

Venue: Room 17

First Author: : M.Lundström SWEDEN

Co Author(s): :    C. Zetterstrom                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To analyze indications for a cataract extraction.

Setting:

Fifty-four clinics affiliated to the Swedish National Cataract Register (NCR) ,Sweden and reporting outcomes data.

Methods:

Database study of prospectively collected data on patients going through a cataract extraction. Preoperative, intraoperative and follow up data was reported to the NCR database during one month each year 2012-2014. Preoperative data included the surgeon's opinion on indications for surgery. All patients completed the Catquest-9SF questionnaire before and 3 months after surgery. Data were analyzed regarding preoperative visual acuity, surgeon's opinion of indications and patients' perceived visual function before surgery.

Results:

During the study period 11,904 cataract extractions were reported. Mean age was 74.1 years, 60.2% were females and 39.9% were 2nd-eye surgeries. The majority (85%) had a preoperative visual acuity below 6/9 (0.66) in the surgery eye. Most patients were dissatisfied with their vision before surgery (72.6%) or reported visual problems in performing daily life activities (93.7%). In 5.5% of all cases the patients reported that they were satisfied with vision before surgery and had no vision-related problems. In 0.4% the surgeon marked other indication than poor vision. In 5.1% no obvious reason for a cataract extraction was found.

Conclusions:

In the majority of 11,904 cataract extractions obvious reasons for surgery in terms of poor vision, dissatisfaction with vision, and vision-related daily life activity problems were reported. In another group of patients the surgeon reported specific reasons other than poor vision for surgery. In the remaining 5.1% of surgeries no obvious indication for surgery was found. These cases will be discussed in detail.

Financial Interest:

NONE