Cataract surgery and the optometrist

To determine the outcome of discharge on the first day following cataract surgery and the feedback from patients' optometrists.

Casenotes of patients who had cataract surgery between 1 April 1997 and 30 June 1998 were analysed. Patients without complications were discharged on day 1 and advised to see their optometrist at 1 month. Patients were given a form for refraction with a pre-paid envelope for their optometrist. Completed letters from the optometrists were returned to the hospital to be analysed by the principal surgeon and acted on appropriately. A questionnaire was sent out to patients whose notes did not contain any information after the first post-operative examination.

A total of 318 eyes from 288 patients underwent cataract surgery. Completed forms from the optometrist were received in 245 (77%) cases; no optometrist's letter was found in the remaining 73 cases (23%). Of these 73 patients, 50 (68%) had other ocular pathology requiring hospital follow-up and 9 had died. There were only 6 patients about whom post-operative information could not be obtained. There were no significant differences regarding the age and sex of those who did or did not attend the optometrist.

Patients without complications can be discharged to the care of their optometrist on the first day following cataract surgery. With good communication between hospital and the optometrist, better use can be made of available resources.