Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of uncomplicated cataract who had cataract surgery and had any of a specified list of surgical procedures in the 30 days following cataract surgery which would indicate the occurrence of any of the following major complications: retained nuclear fragments, endophthalmitis, dislocated or wrong power IOL, retinal detachment, or wound dehiscence

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1. Scientific basis for assessing short-term complications following cataract surgery 
Complications that may result in a permanent loss of vision following cataract surgery are uncommon. This short-term outcome of surgery indicator seeks to identify those complications from surgery that can reasonably be attributed to the surgery and surgeon and which reflect situations which - if untreated - generally result in significant avoidable vision loss that would negatively impact patient functioning. Further, it seeks to reduce surgeon burden and enhance accuracy in reporting by focusing on those significant complications that can be assessed from administrative data alone and which can be captured by the care of another physician or the provision of additional, separately coded, post-operative services. Finally, it focuses on patient safety and monitoring for events that, while hopefully uncommon, can signify important issues in the care being provided. For example, the need to reposition or exchange an intraocular lens (IOL) reflects in part “wrong power” IOL placement, a major patient safety issue.

In order to achieve these ends, the indicator excludes patients with other known, pre-operative ocular conditions that could impact the likelihood of developing a complication. Based on the results of the Cataract Appropriateness Project at RAND, other published studies, and one analysis performed on a national MCO data base, the exclusion codes would preserve over 2/3 of all cataract surgery cases for analysis. Thus, this provides a “clean” indicator that captures care for the large majority of patients undergoing cataract surgery.

2. Evidence for gap in care
The advances in technology and surgical skills over the last 30 years have made cataract surgery much safer and more effective. An analysis of a single company’s database (commercial age MCO) demonstrated that the rate of complications found for this indicator was approximately 1 to 2%. Nevertheless, as noted above, the occurrence of one of these events is associated with a significant potential for vision loss that is otherwise avoidable. Furthermore, with an annual volume of 2.8 million cataract surgeries in the US, a 2% rate would mean that over 36,000 surgeries are accompanied by these complications (2/3 of 56,000 surgeries). 

A synthesis of the literature published prior to 1992 found weighted mean complication rates among all patients undergoing cataract surgery of 0.13% for endophthalmitis, 0.3% for bullous keratopathy, 1.4% clinically detectable CME, 3.5% for angiographically demonstrated CME, 0.7% for retinal detachment, and 1.1% for IOL dislocation. Bullous keratopathy and CME are not included in this indicator because they are conditions that are almost always temporary and resolve without additional intervention through additional procedures and associated care in this population of patients without prior known ocular conditions. 

Additional studies similarly demonstrate the low occurrence of complications, including many that are temporary in nature and without a significant impact on patient outcomes. A national survey of over 100 hospitals from 1997 to 1998 found the following results on 18,454 patients 50 years old or older. Seventy-seven percent of these patients had surgery performed by phacoemulsification. Rates for events that occurred during surgery were 4.4% for posterior capsule rupture and vitreous loss, 1.0% for incomplete cortical cleanup, 1.0% for anterior chamber hemorrhage and or collapse, and 0.77% for iris damage. Short-term (within 48 hours) perioperative complications included corneal edema (9.5%), increased IOP (7.9%), uveitis (5.6%), wound leak (1.2%), hyphema (1.1%), and retained lens material (1.1%). 

A retrospective study from New Zealand of 1,793 consecutive patients undergoing phacoemulsification reported a rate of 1.8% for posterior capsule rupture and a rate of 1.2% for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. (AAO, 2006)

This is an outcome measure. As such, there are no statements in the guideline specific to this measurement topic.

Lower score indicates better quality

American Academy of Ophthalmology. Preferred Practice Pattern: Cataract In the Adult Eye. 2006.

Desai P, Minassian DC, Reidy A. National cataract surgery survey 1997-8: a report of the results of the clinical outcomes. Br J Ophthalmol 1999 Dec;83(12):1336-40.

Powe NR, Schein OD, Gieser SC, Tielsch JM, Luthra R, Javitt J, Steinberg EP. Synthesis of the literature on visual acuity and complications following cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation. Cataract Patient Outcome Research Team. Arch Ophthalmol 1994 Feb;112(2):239-52.

Russell M, Gaskin B, Russell D, Polkinghorne PJ. Pseudophakic retinal detachment after phacoemulsification cataract surgery: Ten-year retrospective review. J Cataract Refract Surg 2006 Mar;32(3):442-5.

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This is an episode-based measure, meaning there may be more than one reportable event for a given patient during the measurement period.

The level of analysis for this measure is each cataract surgery during the measurement period. Every cataract surgery during the measurement period should be counted as a measurable denominator event for the measure calculation.  

The measure, as written, does not specifically require documentation of laterality. Coding limitations in particular clinical terminologies do not currently allow for that level of specificity (ICD-10-CM includes laterality, but ICD-9-CM and SNOMED-CT do not uniformly include this distinction). Therefore, at this time, it is not a requirement of this measure to indicate laterality of the diagnoses, findings or procedures. Available coding to capture the data elements specified in this measure has been provided. It is assumed that the eligible professional will record laterality in the patient medical record, as quality care and clinical documentation should include laterality.

TBD

All patients aged 18 years and older who had cataract surgery and no significant ocular conditions impacting the surgical complication rate

Equals Initial Patient Population

Patients with any one of a specified list of significant ocular conditions that impact the surgical complication rate

Patients who had one or more specified operative procedures for any of the following major complications within 30 days following cataract surgery: retained nuclear fragments, endophthalmitis, dislocated or wrong power IOL, retinal detachment, or wound dehiscence

Not Applicable

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Not Applicable

Not Applicable

For every patient evaluated by this measure also identify payer, race, ethnicity and sex.