Expert consensus on the management of patients undergoing cataract surgery: A Delphi study

Abstract

Purpose To define the management of patients undergoing cataract surgery. Setting Panel of experts on cataract surgery and members of the Italian Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (AICCER) participated in the Delphi study. Design A restricted panel of experts defined the statements concerning the topic and identified a larger panel of experts who voted the statements. The statements concerned a series of practical issues concerning the management of patients undergoing cataract surgery. Methods An initial web round-table served to develop the statements. The larger panel was constituted by 15 experts which anonymously voted the statements, presented in a web platform, using a 5- point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as at least 80% of agreement. Results All participants completed the questionnaire. Globally, the total percentage of agreement of all statements was 90.4%. The total mean score was 4.5. Score 4 and score 5 accounted for the 27% and the 68% of the total votes, respectively. Conclusions The participants felt they could largely agree with and approve the statements proposed by the board. In addition, the Delphi study identified some points that are highly shared and endorsed. In particular, a new model approach can be based on a seven-day course using a fixed high-potency corticosteroid combination with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. At the end of this cycle, the patient should be re-evaluated in some way to continue any treatment in the most appropriate and personalized way possible.