Attitudes to cataract surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a patient survey

Naderi, Khayam; Maubon, Laura; Jameel, Ashmal; Patel, Darshak S; Gormley, Jack; Shah, Vishal; Lai, Lily; Low, Sancy; Verma, Seema; Robbie, Scott; Bhogal, Maninder; O’Brart, David

doi:10.1038/s41433-020-1112-9

Cited by 21 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Most previous studies analyzing the impact of the pandemic on the number of cataract surgeries focused on the early effects of the first wave [2,7,14,16]. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is not only the first published comparison of pre-and intrapandemic cataract surgery numbers but also the first analysis of the impact each of the three waves of the pandemic had on the surgical volume.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Impact of Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Rate of Elective Cataract Surgeries at a Tertiary Referral Center: A Polish Perspective

Dmuchowska

Pieklarz

Konopińska

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The aim of this study was to assess the effect of three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of elective cataract surgeries. A retrospective single-center consecutive case series study was performed. We included all 12,464 patients who received cataract surgery in the period between 1 January 2016 and 31 May 2021. Monthly numbers of cataract surgeries during the pandemic were compared with monthly numbers in the reference years 2016–2019. In the pandemic the number of cataract surgeries decreased by 53.4%. The monthly numbers during the first, second and third wave of the pandemic were 77.5%, 51.5% and 29.7% lower, respectively, compared with the reference level. No rebound effect was observed once the pandemic restrictions were eased. Simultaneous bilateral cataract surgeries (SBCS) constituted 6.5% of cataract procedures performed in April and May 2021 compared with 0.77% carried out between May 2019 and March 2021. While the pandemic-affected monthly numbers of cataract surgeries tend to increase recently, they are still below the prepandemic level. Patients should be encouraged to weigh the risks of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality against the benefits of cataract surgery. Reorganization of the logistics of cataract services is advisable with consideration of SBCS as one of the options.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Impact of Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Rate of Elective Cataract Surgeries at a Tertiary Referral Center: A Polish Perspective

Dmuchowska

Pieklarz

Konopińska

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Patients concerned about acquiring COVID-19 infection would also have likely declined the offer of surgery. Hence we found a much lower proportion in comparison to pre-operative phone calls [ 18 ]. Similarly, we hypothesise that patients are more likely to retrospectively praise infection control measures, providing they were not knowingly infected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restarting cataract surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic; a prospective study analysing 30 day outcomes after elective cataract surgery in the United Kingdom

et al. 2021

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Background Cataract is a significant cause of preventable blindness in the United Kingdom and worldwide. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, cataract surgery was the most commonly performed operation by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of elective cataract surgery performed in the United Kingdom in a COVID-19 free hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Single centre prospective observational cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing elective cataract surgery in the United Kingdom over a 3 month period from May to August 2020. Electronic medical records were reviewed and patients were contacted at 30 days post-operatively. Data collection included symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection, hospital admission, mortality, intra-operative and post-operative surgical complications. Results A total of 649 elective cataract surgeries were performed. Two patients (0.3%) developed worsening dyspnoea during the 30 day post-operative period, but tested negative for COVID-19 infection. Three patients (0.5%) were hospitalised, unrelated to COVID-19 infection, of which one patient (0.2%) passed. Four patients (0.6%) suffered posterior capsular rupture. 601 (93.2%) had no post-operative complications. Conclusion This study demonstrates a safe model for the resumption of elective cataract surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing strict infection control measures are in place.

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“…As cataract surgery has been known to be the most commonly performed surgery in the developed world, the stark relative decrease in internet searches relating to cataract surgery during the pandemic comes as a little surprise [ 11 ]. While a recent study showed that 64.8% of their 207 patient sample expressed a decreased quality of life due to inability to receive cataract extraction during the pandemic, as much as 47% of the surveyed population described some concern in contracting COVID-19 at the hospital during the early summer of 2020 [ 12 ]. Along with barriers to care, this fear of contracting COVID-19 during the initial phase of the pandemic likely contributed to decreased internet queries of cataracts and cataract surgery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Interest in Refractive Diseases and Treatments During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Google Trends Analysis

Gupta¹,

Pakhchanian²,

Raiker³

et al. 2021

Cureus

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To assess national internet search trends/public interest in refractive diseases and treatments during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsA Google Trends search for refractive terms was performed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Refractive terms were divided into disease and treatment terms. Relative search volume (RSV) indices were assessed in the United States from the initial lockdown period (March 1 -June 28), summer reopening period (July 5 -November 1), and winter case surge/vaccine rollout period (November 8 -February 28). A t-test of two independent samples assuming unequal variances was utilized in comparing the pandemic year to pooled data of overlapping weeks between 2016-2019. ResultsThe majority of disease and treatment terms showed a significant decrease in RSV during the initial lockdown period (p<0.05). There was a significant increase in RSV for cataract, astigmatism, cataract surgery, and photorefractive keratotomy (PRK) (p<0.05), accompanied by a significant decrease in RSV for contact lens during the summer reopening period. There was a significant increase in RSV for cataract, astigmatism, glasses, and PRK, accompanied by a significant decrease in RSV for hyperopia, keratoconus, contact lens, and LASIK during the winter case surge/vaccine rollout period. ConclusionThere was a significant decrease in the public interest in refractive diseases and treatments during the lockdown period, accompanied by an increase in interest later in the year. Decreased public interest can lead to delays in care, poorer health literacy, and potentially worse outcomes. Strategies to enhance public interest and care during the pandemic may prove to be beneficial.

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Attitudes to cataract surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a patient survey

Cited by 21 publications

References 4 publications

Impact of Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Rate of Elective Cataract Surgeries at a Tertiary Referral Center: A Polish Perspective

Impact of Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Rate of Elective Cataract Surgeries at a Tertiary Referral Center: A Polish Perspective

Restarting cataract surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic; a prospective study analysing 30 day outcomes after elective cataract surgery in the United Kingdom

Public Interest in Refractive Diseases and Treatments During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Google Trends Analysis

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