Same-day cataract surgery on both eyes can be safe, effective and practical -- and it can reduce costs, according to a pair of new studies from Europe.

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Same-day cataract surgery on both eyes can be safe, effective and practical, according to a pair of new studies.

Cataract surgery typically is performed on one eye and then the other, with procedures scheduled weeks or months apart.

But getting surgery done on both eyes at once works just as well, and doesn't appear to interfere with patients' ability to manage on their own at home afterward, researchers are to report this weekend at a meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons in Copenhagen.

"For patients, these findings are encouraging," researcher Dr. Gabriele Gallo Afflitto, an ophthalmologist with Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the U.K., said in a news release.

"They suggest that having cataract surgery performed in both eyes on the same day, particularly when combined with multifocal lens implantation, can deliver excellent vision, reduce dependence on glasses and allow faster recovery," he said.

Cataract surgery is needed when the lens of a person's eye becomes cloudy, causing blurry vision and loss of sight. Cataracts often occur in both eyes.

Cataract surgery involves replacing the clouded lens with an artificial one that can either be single-focused or multi-focused, just like an eyeglass lens.

It's one of the most common surgeries in the United States, with more than 3 million performed each year, the Cleveland Clinic says. About half of all people who live into their 90s will need cataract surgery.

In Afflitto's study, researchers reviewed data from more than 5,800 patients with a total 11,620 eye procedures. All patients had their surgeries performed at Moorfields Private Eye Hospital in the U.K.

They found that 85% of patients receiving multifocal lenses and 70% receiving single-focus lenses in both eyes on the same day achieved 20/20 vision or better.

By comparison, 77% of people who got cataract surgery on two different days achieved 20/20 vision or better, researchers found.

Prescription accuracy also was similar between those who got same-day surgery and those who delayed their second procedure, results show.

"For the patients and the hospital, this approach offers potential efficiency gains, including reduced waiting time, faster visual rehabilitation and fewer clinic appointments, as well as reduced waiting time and lower overall costs, all without compromising patient outcomes," researcher Vincenzo Maurino, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, said in a news release.

In the second study, researchers surveyed 157 patients who got same-day cataract surgery in Denmark to see how well they managed after their discharge.

About 88% said they could find their way around their home independently, 79% managed to prepare food and 51% didn't need help using their mobile phone, results showed.

Overall, 62% said they didn't need a caregiver at all within the first 24 hours after their surgery. But 51% said they still needed help using eye drops.

"Many people can expect to manage well soon after surgery, which may ease anxiety about needing support," researcher Mia Vestergaard Bendixen of Silkeborg Regional Hospital in Denmark said in a news release.

"However, some still benefit from a caregiver during the first day," said Bendixen, an ophthalmic nurse. "For clinicians, these findings support offering same-day cataract surgery, while emphasizing patient education and planning for temporary help if needed."

If both surgeries can be carried out at the same appointment, she said, "this could reduce clinic visits and caregiver burden, as well as improving efficiency in health care delivery."

Dr. Joaquín Fernández, secretary of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, said the pair of studies "show that cataract surgery to both eyes in one session can be performed safely, with patients recovering well at home and, crucially, achieving visual outcomes as good as or better than when surgery is performed in two steps."

He said there are many potential advantages to treating cataracts in both eyes in one go.

"Not only does it reduce hospital visits for patients, it also saves time for hospital staff, potentially allowing them to see more patients," Fernández said. "This should reassure patients, their families, and their surgeons that safety is not compromised."

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has more on cataract surgery.

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