Background Cataract, opacification of the lens, is one of the commonest causes of loss of useful vision, with an estimated 16 million people worldwide affected. Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the NHS with over 300,000 operations annually in England alone. This dataset spans the full cataract care pathway at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust. Information from the start of the hospital episode including the ophthalmological clinical assessment (details of ocular examination and vision), preoperative assessment (ocular biometry), moving to the surgery day and the chosen anaesthesia (type of anaesthetic), surgery (details of procedure, lens choice, any complications), postoperative recovery (postoperative events) and visual rehabilitation (refractive and visual outcomes).

Geography The West Midlands has a population of 5.9 million. The region includes a diverse ethnic, and socio-economic mix, with a higher than UK average of minority ethnic groups. It has a large number of elderly residents but is the youngest population in the UK. There are particularly high rates of diabetes, physical inactivity, obesity, and smoking.

Data source:

1. The Electronic Health Records held at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England, providing direct acute services and specialist care across four hospital sites, with 2.2 million patient episodes per year, 2750 beds and 100 ITU beds. UHB runs a fully electronic healthcare record for systemic disease.