Purpose: To evaluate the quality and efficacy of the Ban Phaeo Mobile Eye Clinic (BPMEC) model in providing cataract surgery to rural Thailand.
Methods: Retrospective review of 4-week postoperative visual acuity (VA) of 7040 patients receiving unilateral cataract surgery at 75 sites from October 2008 to March 2011. BPMEC conducted screening, surgery, and follow-up at partnering local hospitals that otherwise do not offer eye care. The primary outcome was achievement of VA ≥20/70, which was secondarily analyzed by cataract extraction method (phacoemulsification, phaco, or extracapsular cataract extraction, ECCE) and intraocular lens (IOL) type (foldable acrylic or rigid polymethylmethacrylate).
Results: Preoperatively, 249 eyes (4%) had uncorrected VA ≥20/70. Four weeks postoperatively, 5957 (85%) had VA ≥20/70, 3288 (47%) had VA ≥20/40, and 69 (1%) were lost to follow-up. Phaco was performed in 6324 eyes (90%), 1581 (25%) receiving foldable IOLs. A total of 1403 eyes (89%) undergoing phaco with a foldable IOL had postoperative VA ≥20/70, compared to 4058 (85%) and 496 (69%) of those undergoing phaco with a rigid IOL (p < 0.05) and ECCE with a rigid IOL (p < 0.001), respectively. Overall, 37 eyes were left aphakic. Reported intraocular complications included zonular dehiscence (37 eyes), retained lens fragment (2 eyes), wound leakage (1 eye), and posterior capsule tear (1 eye).
Conclusions: The 4-week uncorrected postoperative VAs met the World Health Organization's quality target of VA ≥20/70 for eyes undergoing phaco and were comparable to those published by an urban hospital in Bangkok.
Keywords: Cataract; cataract extraction; low vision; mobile health units; visual acuity.