CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF VISUAL OUTCOME IN CLEAR CORNEAL MANUAL SMALL INCISION CATARACT SURGERY AT EYE CAMPS

The study aims at analysis of visual outcomes in clear corneal cataract surgery as per WHO guidelines at eye camps. The need to maximise visual outcome after cataract surgery is obvious and routine monitoring of visual outcome can be a mechanism to achieve this. Clear Corneal Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery was the procedure performed in this study and the outcomes recorded and analysed. MATERIALS This camp-based prospective study included 483 eyes of 483 patients with senile cataract without comorbid ocular or systemic conditions, who gave consent. Manual SICS with Clear Corneal Incision was performed by experienced ophthalmic Surgeon. Patients were followed up on 1, 7, 15 days and 1, 3, 6, 12 months evaluated for results. RESULTS Manual small incision cataract surgery with clear corneal tunnel was the technique. From 483 patients, 458 came for follow-up postoperatively. From 458 cases, good visual outcome seen in 396 (86.43%) patients, which fairly meets the guidelines by WHO. Study indicates that intraoperative complications (8.25%) are the major cause affecting the final visual outcome. Intraoperative complications occurred in 44 (9.8%) patients, which is below maximum limit of 10% as per guidelines given by WHO. Posterior Capsule Rent occurred in 16 (3.64%) patients is common intraoperative complication followed by vitreous loss 13 (3.32%). Rate of both complications is below the maximum limit of 5% as per guidelines given by WHO. Similarly, post-operative complications including Surgically Induced Astigmatism. Cystoid Macular Oedema, Retinal Detachment and Endophthalmitis were below 5%. CONCLUSION Visual outcome of clear corneal cataract surgery at the eye camps meet the guidelines of WHO. Intraoperative complications are important causes of low visual outcome in our study. This study advocates improvement in visual outcome lies in reducing incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications and management of them with good quality of instruments and modern techniques. Routine monitoring of visual outcome of cataract surgery at every hospital will go in a long way to improve both quantity and quality of surgery and thus reduce the substantial amount of burden of blindness on our country.