Out-patient cataract surgery.

A randomized prospective study of 100 consecutive cataract operations was designed to ascertain the need for hospitalization for this procedure. The results clearly indicate that immediate ambulation and discharge of the cataract patient do not detract from the very high success rate of this operation. The random nature of this study adds strong support to those surveys that have similarly concluded that hospitalization and postoperative restrictions are not necessary for the great majority of cataract patients.