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To assess the incidence of acute postoperative endophthalmitis (POE) after cataract surgery combined with corneal, glaucoma or vitreoretinal surgical procedures from 2005 to 2014 in France. In this cohort study, acute POE occurring within 6 weeks after surgery was identified by means of billing codes recorded in a national database in patients operated for cataract extraction with phacoemulsification, or corneal, glaucoma or vitreoretinal surgical procedures, either combined or stand-alone. From January 2005 to December 2014, up to 6 260 477 eyes underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery as a single procedure and 115 468 eyes underwent phacoemulsification combined with corneal, glaucoma or vitreoretinal surgical procedures. The crude incidence of acute POE after stand-alone or combined cataract surgery was 0.102% and 0.149%, respectively. In multivariate Poisson analysis, combined surgery taken as a whole was at higher risk than cataract stand-alone surgery, with an adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) (95% CI) of 1.38 (1.11 to 1.70; p=0.0054). Glaucoma surgeries were associated with a lower acute POE incidence compared with phacoemulsification, conversely to vitreoretinal surgical procedures: IRR 0.63 (0.47 to 0.85; p<0.001) and IRR 1.78 (1.58 to 2.01; p<0.001), respectively. A higher incidence of acute POE after combined cataract surgery than after cataract surgery done as a stand-alone procedure was observed based on the French nationwide medical-administrative database. The incidence of acute POE after combined surgery was related to the type of surgery performed simultaneously with cataract extraction.

94 million people are blind or visually impaired globally, and cataract is the most common cause of blindness worldwide. However, most cases of blindness are avoidable. Cataract is associated with decreased quality of life and reduced life expectancy. Most cases of cataract occur after birth and share ageing and oxidative stress as primary causes, although several non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors can accelerate cataract formation. In most patients, phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation is the preferred treatment and is highly cost-effective. There has been an increase in the use of comprehensive cataract surgical services, including diagnoses, treatment referrals, and rehabilitation. However, global inequity in surgical service quality is still a limitation. Implementation of preoperative risk assessment, risk reduction strategies, and new surgical technologies have made cataract surgery possible at an earlier stage of cataract severity with the expectation of good refractive outcomes. The main challenge is making the service that is currently available to some patients accessible to all by use of universal health coverage.

Cataract surgery is one of the most common operations in health care. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) enables more precise ocular incisions and lens fragmentation than does phacoemulsification cataract surgery (PCS). We hypothesised that FLACS might improve outcomes in cataract surgery compared with PCS despite having higher costs. We did a participant-masked randomised superiority clinical trial comparing FLACS and PCS in two parallel groups (permuted block randomisation stratified on centres via a centralised web-based application, allocation ratio 1:1, block size of 2 or 4 for unilateral cases and 2 or 6 for bilateral cases). Five French University Hospitals enrolled consecutive patients aged 22 years or older who were eligible for unilateral or bilateral cataract surgery. Participants, outcome assessors, and technicians carrying out examinations were masked to the surgical treatment allocation until the last follow-up visit and a sham laser procedure was set up for participants randomly assigned to the PCS arm. The primary clinical endpoint was the success rate of surgery, defined as a composite of four outcomes at a 3-month postoperative visit: absence of severe perioperative complication, a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 0·0 LogMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) or better, an absolute refractive error of 0·75 dioptres or less, and unchanged postoperative corneal astigmatism power (≤0·5 dioptres) and axis (≤20°). The primary economic endpoint was the incremental cost per additional patient who had treatment success at 3 months. Primary outcomes were assessed in all randomly assigned patients who met all eligibility criteria (missing data considered as failure). We used mixed logistic regression models or mixed linear regression models for statistical comparisons, adjusted on centres and whether cataract surgery was bilateral or unilateral. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01982006. Of the 907 patients (1476 eyes) randomly assigned between Oct 9, 2013, and Oct 30, 2015, 870 (704 eyes in FLACS group and 685 eyes in the PCS group) were analysed. We identified no significant difference in the success rate of surgery between the FLACS and PCS groups (FLACS: 41·1% [289 eyes]; PCS: 43·6% [299 eyes]); adjusted odds ratio 0·85, 95% CI 0·64–1·12, p=0·250). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was €10 703 saved per additional patient who had treatment success with PCS compared with FLACS. We observed no severe adverse events during the femtosecond laser procedure, and most of the complications in the FLACS group related to the primary outcome measures occurred during the phacoemulsification phase or postoperatively. Despite its advanced technology, femtosecond laser was not superior to phacoemulsification in cataract surgery and, with higher costs, did not provide an additional benefit over phacoemulsification for patients or health-care systems. French Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

In an ageing population, efficiency improvements are required to assure future accessibility of cataract care. We aim to address remaining knowledge gaps by evaluating the safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) versus delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS). We hypothesised that ISBCS is non-inferior to DSBCS, regarding safety and effectiveness, and being superior in cost-effectiveness. We did a multicentre, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial, which included participants from ten Dutch hospitals. Eligible participants were 18 years or older, underwent expected uncomplicated surgery, and had no increased risk of endophthalmitis or refractive surprise. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the ISBCS (intervention) group or DSBCS (conventional procedure) group, using a web-based system stratified by centre and axial length. Participants and outcome assessors were not masked to the treatment groups because of the nature of the intervention. The primary outcome was the proportion of second eyes with a target refractive outcome of 1·0 dioptre (D) or less 4 weeks postoperatively, with a non-inferiority margin of –5% for ISBCS versus DSBCS. For the trial-based economic evaluation, the primary endpoint was the incremental societal costs per quality-adjusted life-year. All analyses were done by a modified intention-to-treat principle. Costs were calculated by multiplying volumes of resource use with unit cost prices and converted to 2020 Euros (€) and US$. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03400124, and is now closed for recruitment. Between Sept 4, 2018, and July 10, 2020, a total of 865 patients were randomly assigned to either the ISBCS group (427 [49%] patients; 854 eyes) or DSBCS group (438 [51%] patients; 876 eyes). In the modified intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of second eyes with a target refraction of 1·0 D or less was 97% (404 of 417 patients) in the ISBCS group versus 98% (407 of 417) in the DSBCS group. The percentage difference was –1% (90% CI –3 to 1; p=0·526), thereby establishing non-inferiority for ISBCS compared with DSBCS. Endophthalmitis was not observed or reported in either group. Adverse events were comparable between groups, with only a significant difference in disturbing anisometropia (p=0·0001). Societal costs were €403 (US$507) lower with ISBCS than with DSBCS. The cost-effectiveness probability of ISBCS versus DSBCS was 100% across the willingness-to-pay range of €2500–80 000 (US$3145–100 629) per quality-adjusted life-year. Our results showed non-inferiority of ISBCS versus DSBCS regarding effectiveness outcomes, comparable safety, and superior cost-effectiveness of ISBCS. National cost savings could amount to €27·4 million (US$34·5 million) annually, advocating for ISBCS if strict inclusion criteria are applied. Research grant from The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) and Dutch Ophthalmological Society.

In 2014, Malaysia conducted National Eye Survey II (NES II) using the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) methodology across six administrative regions. The survey revealed significant discrepancies in key national eye care indicators, including prevalence of blindness, cataract surgery outcome, and effective Cataract Surgical Coverage (eCSC). In response, the Ministry of Health (MOH) launched the Klinik Katarak Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KK-KKM) initiative, which includes mobile cataract surgical services to improve equitable access in the underserved areas in Sarawak and the Eastern Region. Despite endorsement and consistent operational funds, variations in cataract surgery uptake between regions persisted. We postulate that this disparity could be due to community-related factors and their interactions. In 2023, follow-up surveys were conducted in both regions to compare outcomes over time. The eligible subjects were consecutively recruited for a questionnaire interview. This study aims to identify the factors influencing cataract surgery uptake in Malaysia, specifically in Sarawak and Eastern Region. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2023 using RAAB methodology, targeting individuals aged 50 years and above. Subjects with operable cataract with Pinhole Visual Acuity worse than 6/18, or a history of cataract surgery, were interviewed using the validated 22-item CatSurg-U questionnaire focused on Knowledge, Perception, Attitude and Practice. A total of 1,119 respondents (Sarawak: 408; Eastern 711) were recruited from 203 clusters. Binary logistic regression was used to identify demographic, socioeconomic and other predictors associated with non-uptake of cataract surgery. The identified factors that influenced individuals with unilateral operable cataracts to have \"no surgery\" in Sarawak included their \"perception to own sight\" [AOR: 0.67, 95% CI (0.53, 0.84) P = 0.001] and \"attitude towards treatment\" [AOR:1.47, 95% CI (1.17, 1.85) P = 0.001]. Meanwhile, in the Eastern region, the factors were \"perception to own sight\" [AOR: 0.80, 95% CI (0.69, 0.92) P = 0.002], \"attitude towards treatment\" [AOR:1.15, 95% CI (1.03, 1.29) P = 0.016], and \"practice towards information\" [AOR: 1.23, 95% CI (1.01, 1.50) P = 0.042]. For subjects with bilateral operable cataract in Sarawak, the factors that influenced them to have \"no surgery\" were \"knowledge on surgery\" [AOR: 0.35, 95% CI (0.25, 0.50) P < 0.001], \"perception to own sight\" [AOR: 1.48, 95% CI (1.15, 1.89) P  = 0.002], ethnicity (Chinese compared to Malays) [AOR: 0.19, 95% CI (0.04, 0.88) P = 0.033] and education level (primary school compared to secondary school or above) [AOR: 5.54, 95% CI (1.49, 20.69) P  = 0.011]. Additionally, for the Eastern region, the factors identified were \"knowledge on surgery\" [AOR: 0.35, 95% CI (0.26, 0.48) P < 0.001] and \"practice on surgery\" [AOR: 0.72, 95% CI (0.62, 0.84) P < 0.001]. \"Perception to own sight\", \"attitude towards treatment\", and \"knowledge on surgery\" were key factors in both regions. Additional barriers in Sarawak include ethnicity and education levels, while in the Eastern Region, \"practice towards information\" and \"practice on surgery\" were key factors. Addressing these factors through targeted strategies such as enhancement of mobile outreach programs, public education, and service capacity expansion is essential. Collaborative efforts are needed to improve eye care delivery and ensure equitable access nationwide.

AimsTo assess the safety of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) based on surgical parameters and intraoperative complications analysis and to determine the length of the learning curve for FLACS.MethodsA prospective consecutive cohort study was conducted on Chinese patients who underwent either FLACS (3289 cases) or contemporaneous conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery (2130 cases). The laser group was divided into four subgroups in chronological order. We recorded intraoperative complication incidences and compared with surgical parameters between groups. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the learning curve of FLACS.ResultsThe laser group had a 4.93% incidence of incomplete capsulotomies and a 1.22% incidence of anterior capsule tears. Subgroup analysis showed significant differences in 8 aspects between the first 250 cases (50 cases per surgeon) and the last 2539 cases, but only 2 aspects differed between the second 250 cases (50 cases per surgeon) and the last 2539 cases. There were no significant differences between the third 250 cases (50 cases per surgeon) and the last 2539 cases.ConclusionsThe intraoperative complications of FLACS were reported, and the learning curve is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of intraoperative complications. The length of the basic learning curve of FLACS is 100 cases, and the length of the advanced learning curve was 150 cases. This study demonstrated that FLACS is characterised by a relatively straightforward and secure operative technique.

PurposeTo analyse the occurrence and potential causes of lens capsule-related complications during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS).MethodsThis prospective consecutive cohort study included the first 1600 eyes (from 1140 consecutive patients) who received FLACS performed by the same surgeon from May 2015 to December 2018. The potential causes and characteristic signs of capsulotomy-related complications, including incomplete capsulotomies and radial anterior capsule (AC) tears, were summarised based on the agreement of two ophthalmologists after they analysed the surgical videos. Subgroup analysis was conducted to characterise the capsulotomy learning curve.ResultsOf the 1600 eyes, 52 (3.25%) had incomplete capsulotomies and 22 (1.38%) had radial AC tears. The most common causes of incomplete capsulotomies were eye tilt (16 eyes, 30.77%), air bubbles or ocular secretions at the interface (14 eyes, 26.92%) and white cataracts (7 eyes, 13.46%). Additionally, 54.55% (12/22) of AC tears were due to incomplete capsulotomy and secondary capsulorhexis. A significant difference was noted between the first 200 eyes and subsequent groups in terms of the incidence of incomplete capsulotomies. No difference was observed in the incidence of AC tears after the initial 100 procedures.ConclusionThe most common causes of incomplete capsulotomies were eye tilt and air bubbles or ocular secretions at the interface. Secondary capsulorhexis after incomplete capsulotomy is the main risk factor for AC tears. There was a steep learning curve for laser capsulotomy in the first 100 operated eyes, as evidenced by the higher complication rate, but this stabilised after 200 procedures.

Aims To describe the outcomes of cataract surgery in the United Kingdom. Methods Anonymised data on 180 114 eyes from 127 685 patients undergoing cataract surgery between August 2006 and November 2010 were collected prospectively from 28 sites. Outcome measures included intraoperative and postoperative complication rates, and preoperative and postoperative visual acuities. Results Median age at first eye surgery was 77.1 years, 36.9% cases had ocular co-pathology and 41.0% patients underwent cataract surgery on both eyes. Preoperative visual acuity was 0.30 logMAR or better in 32.0% first eyes and 47.7% second eyes. Postoperative best-measured visual acuity was 0.00 and 0.30 logMAR or better in 50.8 and 94.6% eyes without ocular co-pathology, and 32.5 and 79.9% in eyes with co-pathology. For eyes without co-pathology, postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity was 0.00 and 0.30 logMAR or better in 27.3 and 80.9% eyes. Posterior capsule rupture or vitreous loss or both occurred in 1.95% cases, and was associated with a 42 times higher risk of retinal detachment surgery within 3 months and an eight times higher risk of endophthalmitis. Conclusion These results provide updated data for the benchmarking of cataract surgery. Visual outcomes, and the rate of posterior capsule rupture or vitreous loss or both appear stable over the past decade.

PurposeThis systematic review aims to compare corneal astigmatism correction in cataract surgery through corneal relaxing incision, manually and femtosecond laser assisted.MethodsThe study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement recommendations. We used PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS) as databases from January 2010 to March 30, 2021. Patients with keratoconus, corneal ectasia, and a previous history of eye surgery were excluded because our aim was to analyze only healthy eyes.ResultsA total of 1025 eyes were evaluated from 946 patients (mean age was 68.90 ± 5.12) in manual incision group articles, while 1905 eyes of 1483 patients (mean age was 65.05 ± 4.57) were evaluated in femtosecond laser arcuate keratotomy (FLAK) articles. The mean uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 0.19 ± 0.12 and 0.15 ± 0.05 logMAR for manual incision and FLAK articles, respectively (p = 0.39). The mean correction index (CI) was similar in both groups: 0.77 ± 0.18 in manual incision and 0.79 ± 0.17 in femtosecond laser assisted incision (p = 0.70). Refractive stability was found after 3 months and no serious complications were reported during the follow-up in any group.ConclusionBoth techniques are safe and moderately effective in corneal astigmatism correction in cataract surgery. FLAK represents a more precise and predictable approach. However, since visual and refractive outcomes appear to be similar in both cases, the cost-benefit analysis is controversial.

AimsTo report the incidence and associated risk factors for developing suspected and definitive glaucoma after bilateral congenital cataract (CC) removal with a 5-year follow-up.MethodsSecondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Bilateral CC patients who had undergone cataract surgery between January 2011 and December 2014 at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre were recruited. Suspected glaucoma was defined as persistent ocular hypertension requiring medical treatment. Definitive glaucoma was defined as accompanied by the progression of glaucomatous clinical features. According to postoperative lens status in 5 years follow-up: 130 eyes in the aphakia group; 219 in the primary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation group and 337 in the secondary IOL implantation group. The Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were used to explore the cumulative incidence and risk factors for suspected and definitive glaucoma.ResultsThree hundred fifty-one children (686 eyes) with bilateral CCs were enrolled in the study. The mean age at surgery was 1.82±2.08 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 6.26±0.97 years. Suspected and definitive glaucoma developed at a mean time of 2.84±1.75 years (range 0.02–7.33 years) postoperatively. The cumulative incidence of suspected and definitive glaucoma was 9.97% (35 of 351 patients), including 6.12% (42 eyes) for definitive glaucoma and 2.48% (17 eyes) for suspected glaucoma. Microcornea (HR 4.103, p<0.0001), CC family history (HR 3.285, p=0.001) and initial anterior vitrectomy (HR 2.365 p=0.036) were risk factors for suspected and definitive glaucoma. Gender, age at surgery, intraocular surgery frequency, length of follow-up and frequency of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminumaluminium garnet laser were non-statistically significant. Primary IOL implantation was a protective factor (HR 0.378, p=0.007).ConclusionsIdentifying suspected and definitive glaucoma after bilateral CC surgery can lower the risk of secondary blindness in children. Patients with related risk factors need to pay more attention and thus reach early intervention and treatment during clinical practice. Primary IOL implantation may be a potential protective factor, need more clinical trials to be verified.Trial registration number NCT04342052.