[Cataract surgery in the Czech Republic 1988-1997]

The author presents the results of a questionnaire survey where all ophthalmological departments in the Czech Republic which operate cataract were addressed every year with eight or fifteen questions resp. pertaining to the frequency of operations, surgical technique and implantation of intraocular lenses. The results covering 10 years were evaluated. The number of cataract operations increased during the follow-up period from 11,339 to 46,175 eyes. The number of implantations of intraocular lenses increased from 13.50 to 98.80%. The number of operations made by the phacoemulsification technique was in 1991 283 eyes (1.80%) and increased to 36,543 eyes (79.10%) in 1997. Of the contemporary 137 phacosurgeons 12 are so-called high volume surgeons, i.e. they operate more than 50 cataracts per month.