[Patients' opinions about day cataract surgery in a general hospital].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the patient satisfaction as a performance indicator of quality of health care delivery in outpatient cataract surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective study using a questionnaire containing 14 items (preoperative work-up, administrative formalities, local anesthesia..) evaluating all the phases of ambulatory surgery for cataract. RESULTS: We collect 75 responding patients and we observed 2/3 of relative satisfaction about outpatient cataract surgery. Negative opinion was in relation with the prolonged time required for preoperative work-up which is done outside the outpatient surgery structure. CONCLUSION: Advances in techniques of locoregional anesthesia and surgery permit today the frequent use of ambulatory treatment in cataract surgery. This method seems to be well accepted by patients. However the prolonged time used to do the preoperative work-up require in the future a centralisation for this procedure.