Humanitarian missions and visual outcomes in cataract surgery: A literature review

Abstract

The limited accessibility to ophthalmological services in remote regions of developing countries poses a significant challenge in visual healthcare. Cataracts and refractive errors are prominent causes of visual impairment, and surgery, despite being an efficient option, faces barriers in developing countries due to financial and geographical constraints. Humanitarian missions play a vital role in addressing this issue. The improvement in the accuracy of calculating IOL power through techniques such as keratometry and biometry is a fundamental step towards optimizing surgical outcomes and the quality of life for patients in these underserved regions. In this context, the consideration of keratometry and immersion ultrasound biometry as preoperative assessment standards in cataract surgeries in developing countries is presented as a pertinent and advisable strategy.

Keywords: Biometry; Biometría; Cataracts; Cataratas; Humanitarian mission; Intraocular lens; Keratometry; Lente intraocular; Misión humanitaria; Queratometría; Resultado visual; Visual outcome.