Cataract Extraction in an English Population.

The epidemiology of cataract has attracted little attention. The definition of cataract is difficult enough to make surveys of its prevalence in populations of doubtful value. One partial solution is to consider only cataract of a degree sufficient to be operated upon. Fuchs (1960) has published figures showing a very wide variation in the proportions of patients with cataract admitted to various ophthalmological centres throughout the world, but the information is of little use unless the reasons for admission of patients without cataract are known. Halevi and Landau (1962) studied operations for senile cataract in Israel in 1956-57; they make comparisons with figures from Sweden and Thailand, the value of which is greatly diminished by lack of detail. Sorsby (1962) has published estimates of rates of extraction of cataract of all types in England and Wales for 1958. The purpose of the following study is to provide detailed estimates of cataract extraction rates for a clearly-defined English population.