Practice styles and preferences of Finnish cataract surgeons ‐ 1998 survey

Abstract

ABSTRACT. (Oshika et al. 1996, Hansen 1997, Leaming 1998. The results of the survey of practice styles and preferences among Finnish cataract surgeons are presented here. Materials and MethodsIn June 98, a questionnaire of 36 multiple choice questions about practice styles and preferences in cataract surgery was sent to 153 ophthalmologists in Finland. The questionnaires were anonymous and included a return envelope. In three weeks, 75 respondents returned the questionnaire (49%), and of these 68 (44%) reported doing cataract surgery. The answers from the questionnaires were collected manually by an independent party in order to avoid revealing any surgeon's practice style or preferences to the author. The results are also compared to corresponding results from the year 1997, when 87 responses were received (46 % of all sent questionnaires, results not published earlier). Results SurgeonsThe majority of the respondents were 40-49 years of age (39.7%), although the age group 50-59 was almost as large (35.3%, Fig. 1). The respondents were distributed throughout Finland quite evenly in all five different university hospital districts (12, 13, 22, 26 and 27 %). Fifty-seven percent of the respondents were working at communal hospitals, 16 % in private hospitals and 26 % in both private and communal hospitals. Surgery volumeFifty percent of the respondents performed 26-50 cataract operations per month. Those who performed 16 to 25 or over 51 operations per month were the second largest groups, representing both 20.6% of all respondents (Fig. 2). The surgery volume distribution per month was similar in all age groups between 30-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years of age. Compared to results in 1997, there is a slight tendency towards higher volume surgeons. From the results, it can be calculated that these surveys represented almost 28 000 cataract operations in 1997, which was approximately 79% of all performed cataract operations in Finland in that year, and over 24 000 cataract operations in 1998, which is roughly 70% of the estimated cataract operations in 1998. Anesthesia techniquesIn 1998, topical anesthesia increased to most preferred anesthesia type (48% of the respondents), in 1997 it was preferred by 37.6% of the respondents (Fig. 3). The preference for peribulbar anesthesia decreased from 45.2% in 1997 to 30.7% in 1998. Use of topical anesthesia increased as the surgical volume increased. For those who performed over 51 operations per month, 64.3% preferred topical anesthesia (Fig. 4).

Cataract surgery practice and endophthalmitis prevention by Australian and New Zealand ophthalmologists

“…Other international surveys have found varied patterns in the use of chemoprophylaxis, which reflects ongoing debate and research into the optimal methods of chemoprophylaxis (Table 5). 10–24 The addition of antibiotics to the irrigation fluid remains seldom used in Australia, New Zealand and northern England 11 while it is regularly used by almost a third of ophthalmologists in the USA. Intracameral antibiotic use was low in Australia, New Zealand, northern England and the USA 17 .…”

Trends in cataract surgery and postoperative endophthalmitis in Western Australia (1980−1998): the Endophthalmitis Population Study of Western Australia

“…The exception being a substantial reduction in subconjunctival antibiotic use from 75% to 45%. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] The addition of antibiotics to the irrigation fluid remains seldom used in Australia, New Zealand and northern England 11 while it is regularly used by almost a third of ophthalmologists in the USA. A preoperative topical antibiotic continues to be used by around half of all ophthalmologists and chloramphenicol remains the most popular choice.…”

Endophthalmitis in the western Sydney region: a case‐control study

“…Temporal small incision cataract surgery is becoming more popular across developed nations. In a national survey in Finland, nearly 80% of cataract surgery was performed this way 6 . Although it is agreed that complicated cataract surgery, 7 including wound problems, 8 predisposes the eye to higher risk of endophthalmitis, preliminary reports suggest that this risk is not higher in sutureless phacoemulsification surgery 9 .…”