Comparative Analysis of Surgical Durations and Fees Across Eight Types of Glaucoma Surgery Performed by a Single Surgeon

Abstract

The duration of several types of glaucoma surgery and reimbursement amounts per minute of surgery remain unknown. This study compared the surgical duration of glaucoma procedures (ab interno trabeculotomy, PreserFlo, ab externo trabeculotomy, bleb revision, EXPRESS, trabeculectomy, Ahmed, and the Baerveldt implant) and their reimbursement amounts in Japan. We retrospectively analyzed 30 consecutive surgeries of each type of glaucoma surgery. The reimbursement amount per surgical hour was calculated by subtracting the implant cost from the total medical fees. Amounts were converted to dollars based on an exchange rate of 1 USD = 133 JPY. The average surgical time was as follows: ab interno