Current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan: 1998 survey.
OBJECTIVE
A seventh annual survey was carried out by mail in February 1999 to investigate the current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to 925 ophthalmologist members of the Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Data received from 411 (44.4%) of the recipients were cross-analyzed and compared with those from the previous surveys.


RESULTS
In cataract surgery, 93% of respondents preferred phacoemulsification, 58% employed the self-sealing wound closure technique, and 23% used topical anesthesia for phacoemulsification.


CONCLUSIONS
There have been trends toward more surgical procedures performed by a surgeon, shorter period of hospitalization, and increased number of outpatient procedures. In refractive surgery, surgeons remained rather conservative; with 26% and 5% of surgeons doing astigmatic keratotomy and refractive keratotomy, respectively. Photorefractive keratectotomy, laser in situ keratomileusis, phakic intraocular lens, and intrastromal corneal ring were judged to be useful refractive surgical procedures by 58.2%, 69.5%, 25.4%, and 8. 8% of the respondents, respectively.
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan.
T
T
Oshika
S
S
Amano
M
M
Araie
Y
Y
Majima
D V
DV
Leaming
D000328:Adult; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D007646:Keratotomy, Radial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires