Purpose: Advances in cataract surgery merits changes in its indication as well as related pre-operative eye examinations. This, however, has not been reported in Japan. We performed a questionnaire survey to provide data for these changes.
Method: The subjects were 121 facilities in university hospitals and 1,413 randomly sampled doctors from 14,134 Japanese Ophthalmology Society members. The questionnaire involved the indications and pre-operative examinations for cataract surgery. The results were compared separately amang two groups: operating and non-operating facilities.
Results: The number of respondents was 552 (36%). Operating facilities were 72%, and the annual operation volume was an average of 568 cases (0-4,000). The most important item when the surgery was recommended was the degree of life inconvenience, followed by corrected visual acuity, and there was no difference between the two groups in either. As for the examination to determine the surgery, distant visual acuity, specular microscopy, near visual acuity and corneal topography were high. The highest value of corrected visual acuity was less than 0.7 to indicate surgery in both groups. However, there were significantly more operating facilities in which the corrected visual acuity for the indication of the surgery was 0.7 or more. There was little use of the interview list and image analysis equipment.
Conclusion: There was no difference in the indications for cataract surgery and the pre-operative examinations between the two groups; the most important item among the indications was the degree of life inconvenience. The corrected visual acuity to indicate surgery in operating facilities was higher than in non-operating facilities.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 117: 541-547, 2013.