Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41310778›Full record

ArticlePerioperative medicine (London, England)2025

Understanding ophthalmologists' perspectives on the risk of cataract surgery.

Nora Lyang, Rachel Schwartz, Saras Ramanathan, Neeti Parikh, Meghan Lane-Fall, Daniel Dohan, Catherine L Chen

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Perioperative medicine (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Anesthesia for cataract surgery in Canada: deploying a limited workforce where it matters most.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Nora LyangWestern University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Pomona, CA, USA. nora.lyang@westernu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-7318-3709
Rachel SchwartzDepartment of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8125-9492
Saras RamanathanDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3836-9941
Neeti ParikhDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Meghan Lane-FallVagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7050-0017
Daniel DohanPhilip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7052-1288
Catherine L ChenDepartment of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1424-6664

Funding

NIA NIH HHS AG072035
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCataract surgery is one of the most common elective surgeries and has been shown to be safe with low adverse event rates. Most cataract patients in the US receive one-to-one intraoperative monitoring and sedation administered by an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, termed "monitored anesthesia care" (MAC). Recent studies have suggested that non-anesthesia-led sedation approaches may safely be used in older adults undergoing cataract surgery. However, it is unknown how individual ophthalmologists perceive the risks of cataract surgery with respect to the need for MAC. We sought to characterize physician beliefs and opinions about the risks of performing cataract surgery when considering potential non-anesthesia-led approaches to cataract surgery sedation.

methodsUsing a semi-structured interview guide developed with the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) framework, between December 2022 and May 2023, we conducted virtual interviews with ophthalmologists who routinely performed cataract surgeries in the United States with or without anesthesia care in outpatient clinical settings across the continental US. Data were analyzed from June 2023 through January 2024 using an inductive thematic analysis approach.

resultsInterviews of 19 ophthalmologists revealed 2 major themes that formed the foundational understanding of how ophthalmologists perceive cataract surgery risk in the context of non-anesthesia-led models of sedation: (1) overall safety of cataract surgery and (2) concerns about assuming sedation responsibilities. Despite conceding that cataract surgery is a low-risk procedure for the vast majority of patients, participants were hesitant to change their current practice and desired an anesthesia "safety net" at all times in case of an unexpected intraoperative event or emergency. Many ophthalmologists' responses underscored their aversion to any potential loss of routine anesthesia support without an acceptable alternative present.

conclusionsDespite acknowledging its low-risk profile, ophthalmologists are wary of making changes to current sedation approaches for routine cataract surgery.

Indexed as

AnesthesiaAnesthesiologyCataract surgeryCataract surgery sedationHealth care valueHealth services researchOphthalmologyPatient safetyQualitative studyQuality of care

Identifiers

PMID41310778
PMCPMC12659315

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.