Current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan: 1999 survey.

PURPOSE The eighth annual survey was carried out by mail in February 2000 to investigate the current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan. RESPONDENTS Questionnaires were sent to 930 ophthalmologist members of the Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Data received from 457 (49.1%) of the recipients were cross-analyzed and compared with those from the previous surveys. RESULTS In cataract surgery, 17% of respondents were doing 51 or more cases per month, 94% preferred phacoemulsification, 58% employed the self-sealing wound closure technique, and 26% used topical anesthesia for phacoemulsification. In refractive surgery, excimer laser surgery and astigmatic keratotomy attracted notably high interest, while less attention was directed toward radial keratotomy and intrastromal corneal ring. Laser in situ keratomileusis, photorefractive keratectomy, phakic intraocular lens, intrastromal corneal ring, and radial keratotomy were judged to be useful refractive surgical procedures by 69.0%, 40.0%, 24.6%, 14.2%, and 8.0% of the respondents, respectively. CONCLUSION There are trends toward more surgical procedures performed by a surgeon, shorter period of hospitalization, and increasing preference for small incision cataract surgery. Refractive surgery is not yet widely performed, but laser in situ keratomileusis is viewed as the most promising procedure.