Profile of patients presenting for cataract surgery in the UK: national data collection

Aim/methods-A national data collection exercise was carried out in more tha n 100 hospital eye service units within the UK to provide clinical and admi nistrative information on patients undergoing cataract surgery. This includ ed patient clinical data such as visual acuity at the time of wait listing and at the time of admission for surgery, presence of other eye disorders, other serious medical disorders, and data on waiting time and type of admis sion. Results-The profiles of the 18 454 patients aged 50 years or older are repo rted. Findings of particular note were as follows. At the time of wait list ing for cataract surgery 31% had visual acuity of 6/12 or better, 53% had v isual acuity between 6/18 and 6/60, and 15% had less than 6/60 vision, Cons idering those who had visual acuity of 6/12 or better at the time of wait l isting, by the time of admission for surgery, the vision deteriorated to 6/ 18-6/60 in 33% and in a further 3% the vision deteriorated to below 6/60. I n patients with moderately poor visual acuity (<6/12-6/60) at the time of w ait listing, 13% had less than 6/60 vision by the time of admission for sur gery. Conclusion-This type of data collection and reporting exercise provides new material that can be used in the planning and provision of cataract surger y services in the UK.