Institutional comparison of methods of intraoperative cataract surgery complication reporting

Plain Language Summary This study evaluated the effectiveness of surgeon self-reporting and anterior vitrector equipment billing in identifying intraoperative posterior capsular tears (PCT) with vitreous loss during cataract surgery. A total of 19,258 cataract surgeries performed over six years at the John A. Moran Eye Center were analyzed, with 343 potential complications identified through billing or self-reporting, and 193 confirmed PCT cases based on chart review. Billing data captured 83.9% of PCTs but lacked specificity, including many non-PCT uses of anterior vitrectomy. Surgeon self-reporting was highly specific, with 100% accuracy according to operative reports, but detected only 58.5% of total PCT cases. The findings highlight the strengths and limitations of both methods—billing is sensitive but overinclusive, while self-reporting is accurate but underutilized. Neither method alone was sufficient to identify all complications, emphasizing the need for a standardized, comprehensive approach to intraoperative complication monitoring to enhance patient safety and quality assurance in ophthalmic surgery. Plain Language SummaryThis study looked at how well two methods—surgeon self-reporting and billing for specific equipment—identify complications during cataract surgery, specifically tears in the eye's posterior capsule. Out of over 19,000 surgeries, 343 potential issues were flagged, with 193 confirmed as actual tears. Billing data caught most tears (83.9%) but also included many unrelated cases, while self-reporting was perfectly accurate but missed many tears (only 58.5% detected). The study suggests that neither method alone is enough to catch all complications, pointing to the need for a better system to ensure patient safety and improve surgery quality. Text is machine generated and may contain inaccuracies. View Plain Language Summary safety and compliance information