Economic evaluations in cataract surgery: a narrative review.

Economic evaluations are tools for assessing emerging technologies and a complement for decision-making in healthcare systems. However, this topic may not be familiar for doctors and academics, who may be confused when interpreting the results of studies using these tools. Cataract is a disease which has received special attention in healthcare systems due to its high incidence, the great impact that it could have on patients' quality of life, and the fact that it can be definitively solved in almost all cases through cataract surgery. Historically, economic evaluations in cataract surgery have been conducted for many purposes by simply assessing whether the surgery is cost-effective for specific questions related to the implantation of multifocal intraocular lenses, surgical techniques, optimizing assessments, preventing diseases or complications, etc. Moreover, although there are systematic reviews about cataract surgery and narrative reviews introducing the concept of economic evaluations, as far as we know, no previous study has been conducted that synthesizes and integrates evidence coming from both fields. Thus, the purpose of this narrative review is to introduce doctors and academics to economic evaluation tools, to describe how these have been historically applied to cataract surgery, and to provide special considerations for the correct interpretation of economic studies.

Dilatación del ventrículo terminal: presentación de un caso: Revisión de la literatura / Ventricular terminalis dilation: Report of one case: Literature review

Objective: to make a bibliographical review in purpose of an infrequent case of cystic dilatation of the conus ventriculus terminalis. Description: Female patient of 34 years old, who consults for invalidating anal pain and rectal tenesmus. The MRI shows an image compatible with cystic dilatation of ventriculus terminalis. Intervention: The treatment consists in simple wide laminectomy; midline microsurgical myelotomy and marsupialization with subaracnoidal space. Following myelotomy and fenestration a significant reduction in size of the cyst was seen in MRI. Conclusion: The patient clinical response was good in relation with her initial situation (invalidating anal pain), only persists the parestesis in the right dermatomas L5-S1. This last symptom requires medical co-adyuvance (CBZ). Radiological evolution of the lesion was excellent. To 5 years only post-surgical changes are evident.