Comparative Clinical Outcomes Of Patients Treated In An Optometrist Led Yag Pathway.
Published 2024 - 42nd Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: PO366 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/90qj-cn76
Authors: Clare ODonnell* 1 , Amir Hamid 2 , Nabila Jones 3
1Optegra Eye Sciences,Optegra Eye Health Care,Manchester,United Kingdom;College of Health and Life Sciences,Aston University,Birmingham,United Kingdom, 2Optegra Eye Sciences,Optegra Eye Health Care,Manchester,United Kingdom;Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health,University of Manchester,Manchester,United Kingdom, 3Optegra Eye Sciences,Optegra Eye Health Care,Manchester,United Kingdom
Purpose
To report comparative clinical outcomes including complications, post-operative visual acuity, and refractive outcome data for patients undergoing YAG laser capsulotomy in an optometrist led versus surgeon led pathway.
Setting
Optegra Eye Hospitals, UK
Methods
A retrospective audit of consecutive patients undergoing optometrist delivered YAG laser capsulotomy between January 2022-March 2023 was carried out and the outcomes were compared with data where treatments were performed by an ophthalmic surgeon. Data were recorded in an electronic medical record system (Medisoft Ophthalmology).
Results
1,355 eyes were treated by an optometrist trained to deliver YAG capsulotomy and 6,979 eyes were treated by an experienced surgeon during this period. In the surgeon cohort 100% of eyes were reported as having no operative complications and 100% were reported as having no post-operative complications. For the optometrist cohort 99% of eyes had no recorded operative complications and 100% had no reported post-operative complications. Excluding co-pathologies 78% and 79% of eyes achieved best measured visual acuity (pinhole, best corrected or unaided VA) of 20/40 or better in the surgeon and optometrist treated cohorts respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05, ꭕ2 0.20).
Conclusions
Our outcomes data convey similar outcomes for optometrist and ophthalmologist delivered YAG capsulotomy, suggesting trained optometrists are adequately skilled and well placed in delivering treatment for patients with posterior capsular opacification.