Introduction Hepatitis B and C are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, worldwide as well as in Pakistan. We intended to find out the prevalence of hepatitis B and C among preoperative cataract patients in Karachi. It is hypothesised that a high proportion of patients undergoing elective cataract surgery are infected with hepatitis B and C. Thus, it is imperative to come up with frequency to design strategies to decrease the burden.

Methods A descriptive study was conducted among 240 patients presenting for cataract surgery to Civil Hospital, Karachi. Diagnosis were made on the criteria that a patient must be positive for either HBsAg or Anti-HCV, or both. Convenience sampling was done after getting written informed consent.

Results Overall, five out of 235 (2.13%) patients were HBsAg positive and 29 out of 239 (12.13%) were Anti-HCV positive. One patient had a co-infection with both HBsAg and Anti-HCV positive.

Conclusion High proportion of Hepatitis B and C are reported among preoperative cataract patients of Karachi. Routine serological screening prior to surgery should be made mandatory so that standard precautions could be taken and asymptomatic carrier patients would no longer pose a threat to its spread.