Is It Safe to Omit the 1-week Post-operative Examination after Uncomplicated Phacoemulsification?

The incidence of cataract surgery is increasing, accounting for a large percentage of eye care expenses. Scientific evidence supporting the medical necessity of the traditional post-operative schedule is lacking. Further studies are needed to optimize post-operative care to reduce the burden on patients and medical providers.

This study aimed to study the rate of complication 1 week after uncomplicated phacoemulsification to determine if the 1-week post-operative examination can be safely omitted.

A retrospective record review was conducted on all consecutive patients who had uncomplicated phacoemulsification between February 1, 2019, and February 1, 2020, at a clinic in an urban setting with a predominantly Black and African American patient population. Subjects were included if they had no complications during the 1-day post-operative examination. Complications at the 1-week and 1-month post-operative examination were recorded and analyzed.

Omitting the 1-week post-operative examination would result in missed complications in 4.48 to 15.97% of patients and failure to make unexpected management changes in 1.78 to 13.84% of patients.

The results of this study do not support omitting the 1-week post-operative examination after uncomplicated phacoemulsification. Further studies are needed to determine whether telemedicine can be safely substituted for post-operative examinations.