Cost of cataract surgery after implantation of three intraocular lenses

Posterior capsule opacification is one of the most frequent adverse events following cataract surgery. This manuscript reports the lifetime cost of complications linked to posterior capsule opacification using three types of intraocular lens with square edges.

Costs were estimated from a retrospective study of patients who underwent cataract surgery and data from the literature. The lenses studied were hydrophobic acrylic (SA60AT and AR40E) and hydrophilic acrylic (XL-Stabi) lenses with square edges. The frequency of Nd-Yag laser capsulotomies after 4 years' survival was estimated by two methods: the first involved linear adjustment of the rate at 5 and 6 years follow-up and then application of a constant rate after 6 years; the second involved linear adjustment after 5 years follow-up. The economic perspective was that of the French Sickness Fund.

After 3 years' follow-up the percentage of patients who had not undergone laser Nd-Yag capsulotomy was 86.9% with SA60AT, 76.6% with AR40E and 54.6% with XL-Stabi lenses (p < 0.001). The total cost of capsulotomy and management of complications per patient lifetime was estimated to be euro90.5 for SA60AT, euro189.5 for AR40E and euro288.0 for XL-Stabi lenses by the first extrapolation method. With the second method of extrapolation the costs were euro94.8, euro200.0 and euro300.2, respectively.

Lower costs for cataract surgery and management of related complications were observed with the two hydrophobic acrylic lenses; the lowest costs were observed with SA60AT lenses as they were associated with fewer Nd-Yag laser capsulotomies.