Factors associated with delayed presentation for cataract surgery among patients with senile mature cataract in North Karnataka

Background: Cataract remains one of the preventable causes of blindness in India. Early intervention is important, as delay in surgery can cause more complicated preoperative and postoperative problems. Identifying patients who present late for cataract treatment is a common occurrence in our outpatient department (OPD). Local data on the determinants of late presentation for cataract surgery is lacking. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted for a period of four months in 206 patients with senile mature or hypermature cataracts attending for treatment at a tertiary care centre in North Karnataka, India. Patients were interviewed with the help of a structured questionnaire, and their answers were evaluated. Results: 76.69% of the 206 patients were illiterate. 65% of the patients were rural residents, and all the patients had access to transport. The most frequent reason for late presentation to the hospital was lack of an accompanying family member/caretaker (24.27%), followed by good vision in the other eye (22.33%). Other reasons were fear of surgery (16.02%) and possible loss of income (12.62%). Conclusions: A multi-faceted approach is needed to tackle these problems, involving community health education programmes, patient support systems, psychological counselling services, reducing financial constraints, and improving accessibility in ophthalmic cares.