Rethinking cataract surgery benchmarking, key performance indicators and maintaining professional standards in Australia

Low-Grade Versus Medium-Grade Nuclear Sclerotic Cataract Density Produces Identical Surgical and Visual Outcomes: A Prospective Single-Surgeon Study

“…However, the literature does not provide a definitive compendium of 1 2 3 3 3 reasoning for earlier cataract surgery. Certainly, there has been very little research on visual outcomes, as measured by corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), in earlier versus later surgery [7].…”

When is a complication a complication in contemporary cataract surgery?

“…However, understanding of key regional population differences also explains higher complication rates due to co‐morbidities such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, advanced cataract or ethnic predisposition, thus improving local consent and surgeon preparedness . As medical professionals there is a strong case for more comprehensive standard pre‐ and postoperative assessment in on‐going objective, quantitative audit as a core approach to benchmark cataract surgery outcomes …”

“…26 As medical professionals there is a strong case for more comprehensive standard pre-and postoperative assessment in on-going objective, quantitative audit as a core approach to benchmark cataract surgery outcomes. 27 Clearly, in the current patient-focussed climate it is reasonable to consider that a fully itemized and agreed list of cataract surgical outcomes and adverse events is established at regional and international levels. This would better enable not only the reporting of cataract surgery research but also individual practitioners' ability to compare their outcomes to agreed standards and thus reflect both on areas for potential improvement and enhanced standards of patient consent.…”

Femtosecond lasers in cataract surgery

“…In this issue of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology , several articles address FLACS and how we assess outcomes in modern cataract surgery . The debate and discussion around FLACS have been passionate, yet it is both cautionary and reassuring to remember that similar debates have occurred in the medical profession whenever new technology has been introduced: consider the history of IOLs; extracapsular surgery; or phacoemulsification.…”

“…Continuing the historical perspective, Wang et al reflect on 1993 and a surgeon's journey with phacoemulsification, which was relatively new to Australia at the time. Most experienced cataract surgeons were attending courses and observing their colleagues, both locally and overseas, in order to hone their skills in this new technique.…”