To investigate the influence of additional postoperative individualized teaching on the anxiety levels and self-care compliance of postoperative care in patients after one-day cataract surgery.

The present study included 80 cataract patients who underwent phacoemulsification and posterior intraocular lens insertion performed by a single operator between January 2011 and February 2011. The control group consisted of patients who received postoperative education from an ophthalmology coordinator based on previous hospital policy. The experiment group consisted of patients who received additional individualized postoperative education from an operator in the recovery room. Trait anxiety on operation day, state anxiety on postoperative day 1, and self-care compliance and postoperative satisfaction at postoperative 1 month were evaluated.

There were no significant differences of trait anxiety levels on operation day or state anxiety on postoperative day 1 between the control and experiment groups. The experiment group revealed a higher score on the postoperative self-care compliance questionnaire, especially regarding care of the operation site.

Individualized postoperative education increases self-care compliance level and contributes to improve postoperative recovery after one-day cataract surgery.