PATIENTS PERCEPTIONS ABOUT AN OUT PATIENT OCULAR SURGICAL CENTER OPENED INSIDE A PUBLIC HOSPITAL - ANALYSIS AND CONSEQUENCES

Goal The purpose of this analysis is to appreciate the patients percep tion of ambulatory cataract surgery performed in an out patient center localized inside a public hospital. Material and methods An anonymous postal questionnaire tvas designed to cover the aspects of ambulatory surgery which could influence the patients perception. 576 patients w ere included and the study collected 487 answers to 12 questions. Auth ors give attention to the pros and cons detectecd during the study tim e. Results The key question show that most patient recommend this proc edure as the treatment of choice. The percentage increases with surgic al experience of surgeons: the response rate to the questionnaire was both rapide and impressive. Final visual acuity did not influence sign ificatively the overall perceptions of patients. Conclusion Answers to the 12 questions point of importance of information, coordination and preparation. A high level of surgical and anesthetic formation is req uired to obtain an easy out patient ambulatory procedure.