Two cataract operations at the same time are cheaper and safe
May 16, 2023 -Dutch News –It is cheaper and just as safe to carry out cataract operations on both eyes at the same time, rather than wait two weeks in between, according to research led by Maastricht University’s teaching hospital.
A cataract causes the lens of the eye to become cloudy, which eventually affects vision. With cataract surgery, an eye doctor removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial one, tailored to the patient.
“The argument for two operations centred on the surgeons having the chance to adjust the artificial lens for the second eye,” Spekreijse told NOS. “In practice, however, this rarely happens because the calculation methods for the lenses have improved greatly in recent years.”
The full operation in one day also reduces costs – and could cut spending by up to €27 million a year, the researchers say. Some 500 cataract operations are carried out every day in the Netherlands.
The new treatment method, based on research involving 865 patients, is already possible in some Dutch hospitals and the researchers have received a second grant to roll out the new system across the country, NOS said.
The research paper was published in medical journal The Lancet on Monday.
