The Royal College of Ophthalmologists

Education and Training Department

Cataract audit:  50 consecutive cases

Please refer to the RCOphth Ophthalmic Services guidance chapter on audit and clinical effectiveness and the OST curriculum. 

Cataract National Dataset, Eye (2009) 23, 38–49.

The following data should be recorded for each cataract case:

  • Date of surgery
  • Hospital or NHS number
  • Pre op VA (best measured) in the eye to be operated
  • Pre op co-pathology/reasons for a guarded visual prognosis/complications (as per Table 5*)
  • Operative complications (as per Table 7*)
  • Post-operative complications (as per Table 8*)
  • Best measured post-operative VA
  • Spherical equivalent refractive aim spherical equivalent post-operative refraction

For cases with complications you must include outcome data (final refraction, complications such as cystoid macular oedema etc)

The following should be provided for the audit:

  • % of eyes achieving post-op visual acuity 6/6 or better and 6/12 or better with and without ocular co-pathology (as per Table 10*)
  • % of per-operative complications (in particular PC rupture with and without vitreous loss)
  • % of post-operative complications
  • % of eyes within 0.5 D of the refractive aim and within 1D of the refractive aim

*Refer to the Cataract National Dataset, Eye (2009) 23, 38–49.