Long-term efficiency of cataract surgery with hydrophilic acrylic Ioflex intraocular lens

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of long-term cataract surgery using low-cost intraocular lens implantation in community campaigns. METHODS: Fifty-eight randomly selected patients were evaluated four years after phacoemulsification and Ioflex intraocular lens implantation. Causes of low visual acuity related to the intraocular lens were evaluated, and treatment costs were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 72±10.2 years. Four years after surgery, 25 eyes (43.0%) had decreased visual acuity related to the intraocular lens: posterior capsule opacification was noted in 24 eyes (41.3%), and intraocular lens opacification was noted in one eye (1.7%). The total cost of the post-surgical complication treatments represented 6.3% of the initial budget of the entire surgical patient group. CONCLUSIONS: The efficiency of cataract surgery with low-cost Ioflex intraocular lens implantation was significantly reduced in a long-term follow-up study because postoperative complications related to intraocular lenses emerged at higher rates than when the gold-standard treatment was used.

Phacoemulsification versus extracapsular extraction: governmental costs

PURPOSE: To evaluate the governmental costs of patients undergoing phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction at a public hospital in a developing country. METHODS: A prospective study was conduced with 205 patients. The subjects were randomized for cataract surgery using either phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract extraction techniques. RESULTS: Of the 205 patients, 101 patients were submitted to phacoemulsificationand 104 patients were submitted to extracapsular cataract extraction. Brazilian Health Care System expenditures for the surgery and the postoperative period were US$ 95.49 more in the phacoemulsification group than in the extracapsular cataract extractiongroup. If we take into account Social Security expenditures, then we estimate that the average difference for the total direct cost for the government for the surgery and the postoperative period for both procedures was US$ 50.91 or approximately half of the initial difference in cost for the phacoemulsification surgery. The total cost of cataract surgery for the government (excluding social security) was estimated at US$ 258.79 for extracapsular cataract extraction and US$ 309.70 for phacoemulsification per patient. Focusing only on working patients, the total cost was US$ 342.21 for phacoemulsification and US$ 587.71 for extracapsular cataract extraction, a difference of US$ 245.50. This difference can be considered monetarily and socially justifiable when the benefits of the surgical technique are evaluated. CONCLUSION: Under the conditions of this study, we observed that phacoemulsification was an efficient procedure with regard to the impact on public health care system, when all costs are assessed comprehensively, mainly for subjects with regular jobs.

Facoemulsificação versus extração extracapsular manual do cristalino: análise de custos / Phacoemulsification and manual extracapsular extraction: costs analysis

OBJETIVO: Avaliar aspectos clínicos e econômicos da cirurgia de catarata pela técnica de facoemulsificação, quando comparada à técnica de extração extracapsular do cristalino no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo em que foram selecionados consecutivamente 162 pacientes, portadores de catarata senil, atendidos em projetos comunitários para identificação e posterior tratamento da catarata (Projetos-Catarata), que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão para o estudo. Esses projetos foram realizados pelo Hospital das Clínicas, entre outubro de 2001 e junho de 2002. Os pacientes selecionados foram randomizados para comporem dois grupos, que seriam submetidos à cirurgia de catarata pela técnica de facoemulsificação e de extração extracapsular. RESULTADOS: Nas condições do estudo, a técnica de facoemulsificação permitiu o uso de anestesia tópica, reduziu o número de retornos e o tempo de duração do período pós-operatório. A utilização da facoemulsificação tornou a cirurgia mais rápida, otimizou o centro cirúrgico e apresentou vantagens econômicas para o hospital. CONCLUSAO: No tocante às condições do Hospital das Clínicas, os custos totais da cirurgia de catarata mediante a técnica de facoemulsificação são maiores do que os custos com a técnica de extração extracapsular; e a remuneração efetuada pelo Sistema Unico de Saúde para a cirurgia por facoemulsificação confere maiores vantagens econômicas ao hospital do que a cirurgia por extração extracapsular.