Timing of the Initial Postoperative Care After Cataract Surgery: A Patient's Perspective

To evaluate patient preferences in regards to the timing of the initial postoperative examination after undergoing cataract surgery.

A retrospective, consecutive case series analysis from a single private practice institution was performed using a standardized phone survey on patients who underwent cataract surgery. Subjects were classified into one of two possible study groups according to the timing of their initial postoperative cataract surgery examination: Group A received the initial postoperative cataract surgery examination on the same day as the surgery, whereas Group B received the initial postoperative cataract surgery examination on the day following the operation.

There were 80 subjects contacted for the phone survey of which 70 (35 in each study group) completed the survey and therefore were included in the analysis. Group A subjects responded favorably in regards to preference and realizing reduced time and cost savings compared to Group B (p < 0.0001 for both). There were no subjects in Group A who would have preferred next-day initial postoperative care, whereas 31.4% of subjects in Group B would have preferred same-day care if given the opportunity.

Patients undergoing cataract surgery both prefer and report time and cost savings with same-day initial postoperative care compared to next-day initial postoperative care. Patient preferences regarding their postoperative care should be one of the many factors that a surgeon ought to take into consideration when providing follow-up care after cataract surgery.