REVIEW OF CATARACT SURGERY FROM 1998 TO 2001 AT THE MURSKA SOBOTA GENERAL HOSPITAL EYE DEPARTMENT
Abstract
Background. Cataract is a leading cause of a reversible blindness in a developed world. The number of cataract surgery procedures performed has been increasing. This study describes methods and cataract surgery quality in Pomurje region, Slovenia from 1998 to 2001, to identify the need for cataract surgical service in this region.
Methods. For the purposes of this study, data from medical documentation of all 1182 cataract surgery procedures performed in Murska Sobota Eye Department from 1998 to 2001 were obtained.
Results. The rate of cataract surgery has increased from 1.5 to 3.3 per 1000 inhabitants during the observed period. The percentage of glaucoma and diabetes in operated patients has grown in this period. Extracapsular cataract extraction has been replaced by phacoemulsification. In 2001, 95.5% of procedures was performed by phacoemulsification and in 99.0% of cases intraocular lenses were implanted during the surgery. The average pre-operative visual acuity was 0.05 in 1998, 0.11 in 1999, 0.16 in 2000 and 0.22 in 2001. The average waiting period for surgery was 3 months in 1998 and 16 months in 2001.
Uncorrected post-operative visual acuity of 1.0 was achieved in 29% and in 50% surgical procedures in years of 1998 and 2001, respectively. The number of complications decreased.
Conclusions. A number of cataract surgeries increased and their outcomes showed a considerable improvement. At the same time, real patient needs weren’t addressed as waiting time for surgery increased. Waiting time for surgery has increased. It is to be feared that the number of patients, waiting for the cataract surgery, will increase unless the number of procedures increases. The number of procedures allowed to be performed is too low compared to the number of patients with cataracts.
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