ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate cataract surgery procedures and caseloads among Indian ophthalmologists in private and government practices. Members of the All India Ophthalmological Society and state ophthalmic societies were surveyed by mail questionnaire in December 1995. Out of 6,800 surveyed, 2,098 responses (31%) were received. Over 61% of the 990,249 reported cataract surgeries were carried out in private facilities with 24% of private patients receiving extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and 41% ECCE with intraocular lens (IOL). Intracapsular cataract extraction remains more common in government facilities with 62% of cases. Over 85% of all surgeons reported some experience with ECCE/IOL. Surgeons operating in both private and government facilities carry an average annual caseload of 861 cataract surgeries, which is twice that of their colleagues operating exclusively in either private or government settings. Although the questionnaire response rate was low, the findings suggest that ECCE is more common in India than in generally recognized, and with the recent availability of low-cost IOLs, its popularity is rapidly expanding.
Subject(s)
Cataract Extraction/methods , Health Surveys , Humans , India , Ophthalmology/statistics & numerical data , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Retrospective Studies , Societies, MedicalABSTRACT
Surgery for cataract blindness, a major health problem, is undergoing a rapid transition. This study characterizes cataract surgery in India in terms of practice setting and surgical procedure. A survey questionnaire was mailed in December 1992 to 4356 members of the All India Ophthalmological Society, resident in India, requesting data on cataract surgery cases within the past 12 months. Two thousand one hundred thirty-four (49%) ophthalmologists responded to the survey. Of the 1,023,070 cataract cases reported, two-thirds were private patients. Among private patients, 26.0% received extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation and 20.7% received ECCE without an IOL. Among patients operated under government auspices, 9.1% received ECCE with IOL and 22.4% received ECCE without IOL. Overall, 82.8% of active surgeons reported experience with the ECCE procedure. The cataract case load in the private sector and the frequency of ECCE, with or without IOL implantation, among both private and government-operated cases is greater than previously recognized.