Current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan: 1997 survey.

PURPOSE: A sixth annual survey was carried out by mail in January 1998, to investigate the current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan. RESPONDENTS: Questionnaires were sent to 816 ophthalmologist members of the Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Data received from 409 (50.1%) of the recipients were cross-analyzed and compared with those from the previous surveys. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In cataract surgery, there have been trends toward more surgical procedures performed by a surgeon, shorter period of hospitalization, and increased number of outpatient surgery. Ninety-two percent of respondents preferred phacoemulsification, 54% used the self-sealing wound-closure technique, and 19% used topical anesthesia for phacoemulsification. As for refractive surgery, surgeons remained rather conservative; with 28% and 7% of surgeons doing astigmatic keratotomy and refractive keratotomy, respectively. Photorefractive keratectomy, laser in situ keratomileusis, and phakic intraocular lens were judged to be useful refractive surgical procedures by 56.6%, 43.3%, and 25.1% of the respondents, respectively.