When a cataract surgery is canceled on the day of surgery, it is stressful for both the patient and the cataract surgeon.
To determine the reasons why cataract surgery gets cancelled at the last moment, researchers in Kuwait performed a retrospective study of 1,952 patients who were scheduled for elective cataract surgery. A total of 234 cases (12 percent) were canceled on the day of surgery.
Primary reasons for short-notice cataract surgery cancellation included:
- Poor control of high blood pressure (32.9 percent)
- Canceled by patient for unspecified reason (19.6 percent)
- Improper control of diabetes (8.5 percent)
- Chest infection or influenza (7.3 percent)
- Eye infection (5.6 percent)
- Heart problems (4.7 percent)
- High eye pressure after local anesthesia (3.4 percent)
The researchers concluded that most cancellations of cataract removal are avoidable, and efforts should be made to reduce the number of canceled and postponed cataract operations.
SOURCE: Why is cataract surgery canceled? A retrospective evaluation. European Journal of Ophthalmology. January-February 2010.
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