Work

Costs associated with in-home postoperative eyedrop nursing care in Belgium: implications for a switch to dropless cataract surgery

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Plain Language Summary Cataract surgery is among the most frequently performed procedures globally, with over 176,000 surgeries conducted in Belgium in 2024. Postoperative care traditionally involves daily administration of antibiotic, steroid, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops for four weeks, often requiring home nursing support due to poor patient compliance and technique. This conventional approach incurs significant costs for the Belgian healthcare system. A nationwide transition to dropless surgery would have reduced Belgium’s 2024 healthcare expenditure from €4,016,573 to €1,816,020. For patients, out-of-pocket costs would drop from €176.93 to €1.62 per eye. Additional benefits include reduced hospital staff workload, decreased ocular surface toxicity, and lower environmental waste from discarded eye drop bottles. Provided clinical outcomes remain equivalent, adopting dropless cataract surgery in Belgium presents a compelling opportunity to enhance cost-efficiency, patient convenience, and sustainability. Plain Language SummaryCataract surgery is common, with over 176,000 procedures in Belgium in 2024. Traditional post-surgery care involves daily eye drops for four weeks, which can be costly and require nursing support due to patient compliance issues. Switching to dropless surgery could significantly cut healthcare costs from €4,016,573 to €1,816,020 and reduce patient expenses from €176.93 to €1.62 per eye. Benefits include less hospital staff workload, reduced eye surface toxicity, and less environmental waste. If clinical outcomes are similar, dropless surgery offers a cost-effective, convenient, and sustainable alternative for cataract care in Belgium. Text is machine generated and may contain inaccuracies. FAQ

Source: Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery

DOI: 10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001866

Authors: Karolien Termote, Heleen Delbeke, Sorcha Ni Dhubhghaill

Institutions: Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Imelda Hospital, KU Leuven

Language: English

Topic: Intraocular Surgery and Lenses

Subfield: Ophthalmology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,000