Cost-utility analyses of cataract surgery in vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy

To explore the cost utility of cataract surgery in patients with stabilized vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Prospective case series.

Patients diagnosed with cataracts combined with stabilized vision-threatening DR had successful phacoemulsification with foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. The corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and utility value obtained using the time tradeoff method at 3-month postoperative intervals were compared with those preoperative values. The cost per quality-adjusted life year gained was calculated using the bootstrap method. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results.

The study comprised 126 patients (153 eyes). All surgeries were successful. The weighted logMAR CDVA changed from 0.82 logMAR ± 0.34 (SD) to 0.58 ± 0.30 logMAR (P < .001). The utility values increased from 0.58 ± 0.14 to 0.72 ± 0.14 (P < .001). The gain in utility values was correlated with the postoperative weighted logMAR CDVA, the change between the postoperative and preoperative weighted logMAR CDVA, performance of bilateral cataract surgery, and duration of DR or diabetic macular edema. The patients gained 1.50 quality-adjusted life years by cataract surgery. The cost per quality-adjusted life year was US $768. This surgery was cost-effective at the threshold of US $22 526 per quality-adjusted life year in China. The cost per quality-adjusted life year varied from US $630 to US $8707 in sensitivity analyses.

Cataract surgery was a cost-effective intervention for patients with coexisting, stabilized, vision-threatening DR.