Annual report of the Cataract Committee of the Austrian Society of Ophthalmology on standards and trends of the cataract surgery

Background Every year the Austrian Ophthalmic Society (Commission for Cataract Surgery and Intraocular Implants) conducts a national survey of all eye-surgery departments in Austria. Material and Methods The questionaires were sent to departments of ophthalmology in Austria and were anonymously returned either in print or via an online form. Before analysing results it is important to consider that participation was voluntary and compared to the data of previous years. Results The responses of 21 departments of ophthalmology with a total of 193 surgeons are presented in this publication and combined with data from previous years. The participation rate was 72.4% with a total of 75,231 cataract surgeries reported. This has shown that the number of outpatient cataract surgery is continuing to rise. However, the yearly growth rate is in decline.