[Cost of cataract surgery in a public hospital]

Abstract

With more than 500,000 operations per year, cataract surgery is currently the most frequently performed surgical operation in France. Several procedural techniques are described, but phacoemulsification after micro-incision is the most common. The cost and reimbursement by the French social security depend on whether the procedure is conducted on an inpatient or outpatient basis. The objectives of this prospective study were to evaluate the cost of cataract surgery in a public hospital setting and to correlate differences in surgical practice with financial impact. One hundred twenty-five operations were observed in the operating room and many data points were recorded for analysis. Topical anesthesia was administered in 87.2% of cases; the mean duration of the surgery was 42minutes. The mean direct cost was 366 € (drugs, sterilization of reused equipment, medical devices, etc). The extended cost of the surgery (infrastructure, hospitalization, food and laundry, etc.) was computed to be 1130 € for outpatients and 1335 € for inpatients assuming a one-night stay in the hospital. In view of the reimbursement provided by social security, this innovative study in a public hospital demonstrates that cataract surgery is a profitable activity, reinforcing our strategic plans.