Objectives
To identify hospital costs associated with cataract, glaucoma, vitreoretinal, and laser refractive surgeries in Europe that can be used to inform economic analyses.
Methods
A targeted literature search was conducted in Ovid EMBASE and MEDLINE for studies published between November 2014 and November 2019. English-language articles that reported hospital costs (for diagnostics, procedures, monitoring, staff, facility, medications, anesthesia, consumables, complications, and administration/overhead) from Europe were included. Overall procedure-related costs were defined as the sum of costs accrued to diagnose, treat, and monitor a patient. Costs are reported in 2020 USD.
Results
Nine articles reporting seventy-six costs (thirty-two cataract, one glaucoma, and forty-three vitreoretinal) from six European countries were identified. The average overall procedure-related cost of cataract surgery was $1,886.88 per case in Finland (based on the cost of one-eye, second-eye, and bilateral cataract surgeries) and $806.71 in Greece. Overall procedure-related costs for complex cataract surgery ranged from $1,433.09 (for uncomplicated surgery using surgical adjuncts) to $3,227.03 (for complicated surgery requiring vitrectomy) in the United Kingdom. Higher costs were reported for younger versus elderly cataract surgery patients in Poland (additional $500.23) and for intraocular lens exchange versus repositioning in Norway (additional $297.95). The overall procedure-related cost of glaucoma surgery was $1,494.30 in Greece. The average overall procedure-related cost of vitreoretinal surgery was $1,352.85 in Greece and $2,584.99 (for vitrectomy) in the United Kingdom. The surgery-specific cost of vitrectomy in Italy was $1,682.56, or $1,811.89 when combined with cataract surgery. No laser refractive surgery costs were identified.
Conclusions
Our review captured a variety of ophthalmic hospital costs from six European countries that may be used in conducting economic analyses; however, it also highlighted country- and procedure-specific data gaps in the literature. Future research is needed to collect costs for additional procedures (particularly glaucoma and laser refractive surgeries) and from additional countries.
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