Age and sex profile of patients having cataract surgery between 1986 and 2003
Accepted 3 March 2005.
Purpose
To investigate the age and sex profile of patients having cataract surgery by 2 consulting ophthalmic surgeons over an 18-year period.
Setting
Waterford Regional Hospital, Waterford, Republic of Ireland.
Methods
Operating theater logbooks were reviewed, and all patients having cataract surgery between January 1986 and December 2003 in Waterford Regional Hospital were identified. The following data were recorded for each patient: age, sex, and type of cataract surgery. Patients having cataract surgery were categorized according to the date of the procedure as follows: Group 1: 1986–1991; Group 2: 1992–1997; Group 3: 1998–2003.
Results
Eight thousand two hundred fifty-seven patients who had cataract surgery during the study period were identified. The mean age of patients was 72.32 years ± 12.21 (SD) and 74.89 ± 11.03 years of men and women, respectively. The age profile of patients having cataract surgery was statistically comparable in Groups 1, 2, and 3 (mean age; Group 1: 72.33 ± 13.03 years; Group 2: 73.72 ± 11.78 years; Group 3: 74.57 ± 10.69 years), indicating that the age profile of patients did not change significantly with the passage of time (analysis of variance, F<1). The proportion of women having cataract surgery rose significantly over the duration of the study period (1986–1991: 55.13%; 1992–1997: 57.68%; 1998–2003: 59.43% (chi-square test, P<.01)).
Conclusions
The age profile of 8257 patients having cataract surgery did not change over the 18-year study period. A small but significant increase in the proportion of women having cataract surgery was noted in latter years. This data is useful to those involved in health care planning.
From the Department of Ophthalmology, Waterford Regional Hospital, Republic of Ireland
Reprint requests to Philip O'Reilly, Department of Ophthalmology, Waterford Regional Hospital, Dunmore Road, Waterford, Republic of Ireland.
No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any method or material mentioned.
ABSTRACT