A study from Sweden has found that delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS), that is, surgery on both eyes but on separate dates, was 14% more expensive than ISBCS. With ageing population, many advanced treatments like ISBCS have been dominating the eye care market. Amongst all the major medical tourism markets around the world, the bilateral cataract surgery cost in India is one of the lowest.
Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (ISBCS) offers many benefits over delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery. Keep on reading to know more.
What Is A Bilateral Cataract Surgery?
Bilateral cataract surgery is a surgical procedure where the cataract is removed from a single patient’s eyes simultaneously or on different days as separate surgeries.
Bilateral cataract surgery has two sub-types:
- Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (ISBCS)
- Delayed Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (DSBCS)
In ISBCS, operation is done in both the eyes at the same time while in DSBCS, the same operation is done but on different days as separate surgeries.
Cataract surgery is done to treat cataracts. Cataracts can cause blurry vision and increase the glare from lights. If a cataract makes it difficult for you to carry out your usual activities, your health care team may suggest cataract surgery.
Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (ISBCS) vs. delayed Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (DSBCS)
| Feature | Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (ISBCS) | Delayed Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (DSBCS) |
| Timing of surgery | Surgery on both eyes is performed on the same day. | Surgery on each eye is performed on a different day, typically 4-6 weeks apart. |
| Recovery time | Patients typically recover their vision more quickly after ISBCS, as they do not have to wait for the first eye to heal before having surgery on the second eye. | Patients typically recover their vision within a few weeks of each surgery. |
| Number of hospital visits | ISBCS requires only two hospital visits, one for surgery on each eye. | DSBCS requires four hospital visits, two for surgery on each eye and two for follow-up appointments. |
| Convenience | ISBCS is more convenient for patients, as they only need to take one day off work and travel to the hospital twice. | DSBCS is less convenient for patients, as they need to take two days off work and travel to the hospital four times. |
| Cost | ISBCS may be more cost-effective than DSBCS, as it requires fewer hospital visits and less surgeon time. | DSBCS is typically more expensive than ISBCS, as it requires more hospital visits and surgeon time. |
| Risks | ISBCS is associated with a slightly increased risk of bilateral complications, such as endophthalmitis (infection of the eye) and cystoid macular edema (swelling of the retina). However, these risks can be minimized by taking appropriate precautions, such as using sterile separation techniques. | DSBCS is associated with a slightly lower risk of bilateral complications than ISBCS. However, there is still a small risk of developing complications in both eyes, even with DSBCS. |
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Other considerations:
- ISBCS is not suitable for all patients. Patients with certain medical conditions, such as severe dry eye or uncontrolled diabetes, may be better suited for DSBCS.
- ISBCS is becoming more popular among surgeons and patients, as the safety and efficacy of the procedure have been well-established.
What Are The Advantages Of Bilateral Cataract Surgery?
There are many advantages of bilateral cataract surgery, such as:
- Decreased cost to patient
- Minimizing patient visits to the surgical facility and doctor’s office
- Faster recovery to binocular vision particularly seen in patient’s with high refractive errors
- Decreased cost to the health system
How To Prepare For The Bilateral Cataract Surgery?
You will be having a consultataion with your doctor regarding your condition.
- A week before the surgery, an ophthalmologist will measure the size and shape of your eye to select an appropriately sized replacement lens
- Your ophthalmologist will also prescribe you eye drops to help prevent infections.
- Stop taking blood-thinning medicines lest it interferes with the recovery.
- Do not eat after midnight on the day of the surgery.
- Your ophthalmologist may ask you to wish your eyelids and eyelashed with baby shampoo the night before and the morning of the surgery.
Bilateral Cataract Surgery Procedure
Bilateral Cataract Surgery is a minor surgery that doesn’t take much time to complete. The following steps are followed:
- The surgeon numbs a person’s eye with eye drops or an injection around the eye.
- Using a special microscope as a guide, the surgeon makes small sutureless incisions near the edge of the cornea.
- If a person is having small-incision cataract surgery, the surgeon will use an ultrasound instrument to break up the cataractous lens into smaller fragments so that they can remove it using suction.
Depending on the type of bilateral cataract surgery chosen, the procedure will be conducted simultaneously or a few weeks later.
Unilateral Cataract Surgery Vs Bilateral Cataract Surgery
| Aspect | Unilateral Cataract Surgery | Bilateral Cataract Surgery |
| Definition | Involves the removal of the clouded lens in one eye. | Involves the removal of clouded lenses in both eyes either simultaneously or with a short interval. |
| Procedure | The surgery is performed on one eye, and is then given time to recover and stabilize. It is then later decided whether to go for the second eye or not. | The surgeries can be performed on the same day or with a short interval. |
| Recovery Time | Recovery time is ususally the same as | Patients recover more quickly as they only need to go through the recovery process once. |
| Cost and Convenience | Patients need to visit the hospital twice for two separate surgeries. | Economically beneficial for patients in terms of less downtime and fewer follow-up appointments. However, reimbursement issues can limit the number of same-day procedures. |
| Visual Outcome | Visual functioning improvements depend on the status of the fellow eye. | Visual acuity improved more significantly with bilateral cataract surgery than with unilateral surgery in elderly patients with a high preoperative disease burden. However, the improvement in life quality was not different in patients receiving either bilateral or unilateral cataract surgery. |
What Are The Risks Of Bilateral Cataract Surgery?
There are certain risks of bilateral cataract surgery, such as:
- Risk of bilateral endophthalmitis
- Risk of bilateral toxic anterior shock syndrome (TASS)
- Unable to gain refractive insight from first eye
- Decreased reimbursement for physicians (in certain health systems)
Bilateral Cataract Surgery Cost In India
The Bilateral Cataract Surgery Cost In India is between USD 3500 to USD 5000, depending on the hospital, surgeon, and the type of lens used.
Top Bilateral Cataract Surgery Hospitals In India
GoMedii has compiled a list of top hospitals offering the best bilateral cataract surgery cost in India.
- Max Hospital, Gurugram
- Fortis Hospital, NOIDA
- SCI International Hospital, Delhi
- Saraswati Institite Of Medical Sciences, Hapur
- Centre For Sight, Chennai
- APH Asclepius Hospital, Greater NOIDA
- Fortis Flt Lt Rajan Dhall Hospital, Delhi
- Akash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi
- Medanta the Medicity, Gurugram
- AMRI Hospital, Kolkata
FAQs On Bilateral Cataract Surgery Cost In India
Q: How long does bilateral cataract surgery take?
A: Bilateral cataract surgery typically takes about 20-30 minutes per eye.