Cataract Surgery Rates in Latin America: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of 19 Countries

Abstract

Although progress is being made in the region, the cataract surgery rates represent only one parameter. When they are examined in the context of cataract surgical coverage it is clear that substantial proportions of bilaterally blind persons are still not receiving surgery.

Complexities and challenges of surgical data collection from cataract patients: comparison of cataract surgery rates between 2001 and 2008 in all provinces of Argentina

“…Using the revised IOL sales data, the true CSR for Argentina in 2008 was probably around 4,700, rather than the originally reported 2,350 (12) . On the basis of the most recent IOL sales report, it can be as sumed that today's CSR is approximately 5,000, which would actual ly place Argentina among the top CSR countries in Latin America.…”

“…In 2008, it was estimated that Argentina had 128 ophthalmolo gists per million population (approximately 5,400 in total for a popu lation of 39.4 million) and a CSR of approximately 2,350 per million population (12) . The more refined data presented in this study suggest that the number of ophthalmologists was considerably inflated; a more accurate total would be 4,100 (104 ophthalmologists per million population).…”

“…When CSR data for Argentina was published in 2010 (12) , IOL ma nufacturers were contacted to assure that the data presented were reasonably accurate. Indeed, data were in good agreement with IOL sales data.…”

Prevalence and causes of blindness in an urban area of Paraguay

“…This fact could be explained by different methodologies (urban area ver sus nationwide, inclusion of refractive errors as a cause of blindness or not), but also by an increment in programs to prevent blindness in the country. Since 2003, for example, the CSR in Paraguay raised from 650 (6) to 1000, (5) although this number is still insufficient to cover the population needs (11) . In contrast with other populationbased studies performed in La tin America, (4) glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy were not among the main causes of blindness in the present study.…”

“…The program only reached Latin America in 2004, as a partnership between IAPB, the Pan American Association of Oph thalmology (PAAO), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) (4) , and since then progress has been made in the fight to reduce the impact of avoidable blindness in the region. From 2005 to 2008, for example, the cataract surgical rate (CSR defined as the number of cataract surgeries performed per million individuals per year) has improved in almost all Latin American countries (5) .…”