Same Day Cataract Surgery- Dr. Nick Bruns
Nick Bruns, OD, FAAO from Summit Eye Care of Wisconsin, discusses bilateral cataract surgery—a practice becoming increasingly common in modern #ophthalmology. Traditionally, cataract surgery is performed one eye at a time, with weeks in between. Why? 👁️ Safety: Historically, spacing out surgeries was thought to reduce complications like endophthalmitis. 🔍 Refractive Accuracy: The first eye’s outcome informs adjustments for the second eye. 💸 Cost: Reimbursement policies often disincentivize same-day surgeries. But is separating the surgeries always necessary? 📊 A 2017 study by Herrinton et al. (Kaiser Permanente) compared outcomes of delayed vs. same-day surgeries and found no significant differences in: Best-corrected visual acuity (#BCVA) Refractive outcomes Rates of complications like posterior capsular rupture and vitrectomy 💉 With modern techniques, including intracameral antibiotics and advanced IOL formulas, the risk of endophthalmitis is estimated at 1 in 100 million with proper aseptic measures. 🚀 As Dr. Bruns highlights, patient convenience and access are shifting the paradigm, making bilateral same-day surgery a practical, patient-centered option. What’s your experience with bilateral cataract surgery? Let us know in the comments! 👇 Financial Disclosures: RxSight, Inc. STAAR Surgical AbbVie Bausch + Lomb Glaukos Corporation LENSAR, Inc. References: Herrinton LJ, Liu L, Alexeeff S, Carolan J, Shorstein NH. Immediate Sequential vs. Delayed Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery: Retrospective Comparison of Postoperative Visual Outcomes. Ophthalmology. 2017 Aug;124(8):1126-1135. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.03.034. Epub 2017 Apr 21. PMID: 28438415; PMCID: PMC5531866. Ahmed IIK, Hill WE, Arshinoff SA. Bilateral Same-Day Cataract Surgery: An Idea Whose Time Has Come #COVID-19. Ophthalmology. 2021 Jan;128(1):13-14. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.08.028. Epub 2020 Sep 2. PMID: 32888947; PMCID: PMC7462754.
