Cost-Utility Analysis of Immediate Sequential and Delayed Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery in a Middle-Income...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Economics

Background:

• Cataract surgery is a common procedure worldwide.
• Bilateral cataract surgery can be performed either immediately sequentially or delayed sequentially.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cost-utility of immediate sequential versus delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS vs DSBCS).
• To assess the economic impact and effectiveness of different cataract surgery timings in a real-world Thai setting.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study comparing ISBCS and DSBCS.
• Cost-utility analysis from a societal perspective.
• Sensitivity analyses (one-way and bootstrapping) were performed.

Main Results:

• Immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) was found to be the dominant strategy.
• ISBCS resulted in cost savings of 3335 THB (~US$100) per patient.
• Postoperative complication rates were similar between ISBCS and DSBCS.

Conclusions:

• ISBCS is a cost-effective strategy for bilateral cataract surgery in Thailand.
• ISBCS offers significant cost savings with comparable safety and improved quality of life.
• The findings support ISBCS as a preferred approach in similar healthcare settings.