ePoster

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Title:

"Couching" or primitive cataract surgery: epidemiology and outcomes

Poster Details

First Author: M. Bentouhami MOROCCO

Co Author(s):    S. Raid   A. Mchachi   L. Benhmidoune   A. Chakib   R. Rachid   M. El Belhadji     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

to describe the social acceptance, the outcomes and complications of primitive cataract surgery (couching) in developing countries

Setting:

adult ophthalmology department, 20 august hospital, Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University Hassan 2nd, Casablanca

Methods:

cross-sectional study during a two weeks medical humanitarian action in two rural regions in Morocco (Beni Mellal and Rhamna), all the consultants who had an operable cataract were asked about their preference about being treated in a hospital or with couching procedure. Epidemiological and clinical data were also collected from all patients who previously underwent couching procedure

Results:

248 patients had an operable cataract on at least one eye 102 of whom declared preferring couching to hospital surgical care. 61 patients had a history of treated cataracts, 42 of whom previously underwent couching procedure the visual acuity for all the patients treated with couching was at counting fingers or less. the most frequent complications were ocular hypertension (19%) lens-induced uveitis (16.5%) and retinal detachment(9.5%). 81% of those patients were told that this procedure is completely safe with no risk of complication

Conclusions:

couching is still practiced in some rural areas in Morocco and other developing countries. patients are not well informed about the risks and the mediocre outcomes hence the need to put more efforts into public awareness campaigns

Financial Disclosure:

None