Caractéristiques socio-économiques, oculaires et systémiques des patients opérés de cataracte : particularités d’une population suburbaine en situation de précarité et mode de prise en charge en centre hospitalo-universitaire

Abstract

To determine the characteristics of patients undergoing cataract surgery in a poor northern suburb of Paris in terms of socioeconomic factors as well as systemic and ocular characteristics. This retrospective study investigated 250 consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery in the Bobigny University Hospital between May and November 2005. Information on age, sex, place of birth, residence, medical insurance, and fluency in French were gathered from medical charts; clinical records were used to collect information on associated general disease, number of medications, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiology) score, lack of autonomy, associated ocular disorders, best corrected visual acuity before surgery, and surgical and anesthetic procedures. The mean age was 72 years, the sex ratio was 1, 54.8% of the patients were born out of France, more than 90% lived in Seine-Saint-Denis department, 57.2% were referred by local ophthalmologists, and 24% did not speak French. More than 60% of the patients benefited from free medical care related to a critical general chronic disease, 25% had an ASA score of at least 3, and 65% took a minimum of three medications per day. Legal blindness was present in 20% of the cases and 45% had associated ocular disorders. One-third of the patients were out-patients. and conclusion: General chronic disease was present in more than half of the patients studied and associated ocular disorders were present in approximately half of the patients. The best corrected visual acuity before surgery was 1/10.