Current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan: 1998 survey.

PURPOSE A seventh annual survey was carried out by mail in February 1999 to investigate the current trends in cataract and refractive surgery in Japan. METHODS Questionnaires were sent to 925 ophthalmologist members of the Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Data received from 411 (44.4%) of the recipients were cross-analyzed and compared with those from the previous surveys. RESULTS In cataract surgery, 93% of respondents preferred phacoemulsification, 58% employed the self-sealing wound closure technique, and 23% used topical anesthesia for phacoemulsification. CONCLUSIONS There have been trends toward more surgical procedures performed by a surgeon, shorter period of hospitalization, and increased number of outpatient procedures. In refractive surgery, surgeons remained rather conservative; with 26% and 5% of surgeons doing astigmatic keratotomy and refractive keratotomy, respectively. Photorefractive keratectotomy, laser in situ keratomileusis, phakic intraocular lens, and intrastromal corneal ring were judged to be useful refractive surgical procedures by 58.2%, 69.5%, 25.4%, and 8. 8% of the respondents, respectively.