Preliminary Examination Before Cataract Surgery

To plan and execute a successful and safe cataract surgery one must conduct a structured, goal- and patient-oriented examination. The medical history provides crucial information regarding the planning of the anesthetic procedure, lens selection and possible intraoperative complications. Visual acuity and refraction measurements are essential for both documentation and discussion of the selected target refraction. Multifocal lenses have various contraindications to which attention must be paid during slit lamp examination and other imaging diagnostics. These include epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy, zonular weakness, and progressive retinal diseases such as progressive AMD. Tomography reveals corneal irregularities as well as possible refractive laser treatments that have been performed previously. Lens calculation is complicated in these cases. Additionally, an endothelial cell count, aberrometry to rule out higher order aberrations, pupillometry and an analysis of the tear film can provide further information. The patient must be informed verbally about the severity of the procedure and the risks relevant for him with sufficient distance to the surgery.