Results of Integrated Cataract Management

Abstract

Background: Target of the World Health Organization (WHO) as “VISION 2020 : the Right to Sight” which aims to decrease rate of blindness to less than 0.5 percent worldwide. A survey between 2006-2007 in Thailand revealed rate of blindness was 0.59 percent and the recent study from Mettapracharak Watraikhing Hospital in 2013 was 0.60 percent. The major cause of blindness is cataract (70%).
Objective: 1) To study the results of integrated cataract surgery under the Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation (PMMV) 2) To study correlation between vision acuity before and after cataract surgery at first week, first month and six months.
Setting: Plabplachai Hospital.
Research design: Descriptive retrospective study.
Method/material: A study of 172 patients with cataract who underwent cataract surgery under The Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation project at Plabplachia hospital during May to November 2015 (6 months totally).
Results: The results of post-operative cataract surgery at first week, first and six months found better vision improvement from 80.4 to 85.2 and 87.4 percent respectively without severely infective complication. This study also found a better correlation between visual acuity after cataract surgery at fist week depending on the level of preoperative vision. Vision outcome after surgery of non-blinding cataract patient was significantly different than those of blinding cataract patient (p = 0.05).
Conclusion: Integrated cataract management with district health systems is an effective model of ophthalmologic public health however depending on context of the area. Increased access to early cataract surgery was more effective than blinding cataract surgery.