ArticleJournal of cataract and refractive surgery2020
COVID-19 and cataract surgery backlog in Medicare beneficiaries.
Article in Journal of cataract and refractive surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Real-world visual outcomes of cataract surgery based on population-based studies: a systematic review.The British journal of ophthalmology · 2023Pooled it
- Digital Health Support for Cataract Surgery With the Sharp Health Companion CareKit App: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Trial
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on glaucoma surgery in German hospitals.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2025Article
- Differences in Medicaid Enrollment and Spending Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Trends in cataract surgery and healthcare system response during the COVID-19 lockdown in Malaysia: Lessons to be learned.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2024Article
- Article
- Continuity of Care Among Postmenopausal Women With Cardiometabolic Diseases in the United States Early During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the Women's Health Initiative.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2022Article
- The effect of disruption due to COVID-19 on operating room utilization: Experience from a secondary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- Could global surgery overcome a decline in surgical cases?Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2022Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on gynecologic and obstetrical services at two large health systems.PloS one · 2022Article
- Impact and Determinants of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Cataract Surgery Rate at a Tertiary Referral Center.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2022Article
- Commentary: Improving the cataract surgery efficiency and clearing the cataract surgery backlog due to COVID-19 pandemic.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2021Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cataract surgical volume: A North Indian experience.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2021Article
- Trends in US Surgical Procedures and Health Care System Response to Policies Curtailing Elective Surgical Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.JAMA network open · 2021Article
- Year one of COVID-19 pandemic: Effect of lockdown and unlock phases on cataract surgery at a multi-tier ophthalmology network.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2021Article
- Surgical Infection Society Guidance for Restoration of Surgical Services during the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic.Surgical infections · 2021Article
- Cataract Surgery Is Not Associated with Decreased Risk of Retinal Vein Occlusion.Ophthalmology science · 2021Article
- Public Interest in Refractive Diseases and Treatments During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Google Trends Analysis.Cureus · 2021Article
- Artificial Intelligence in Cornea, Refractive Surgery, and Cataract: Basic Principles, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions.Asia-Pacific journal of ophthalmology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2021Review
- The Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on the Ocular Surface and Prevention Strategies.Cells · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo forecast the volume of cataract surgery in Medicare beneficiaries in the United States in 2020 and to estimate the surgical backlog that may be created due to COVID-19.
settingMedicare Beneficiaries, United States.
designEpidemiologic modeling.
methodsBaseline trends in cataract surgery among Medicare beneficiaries were assessed by querying the Medicare Part B Provider Utilization National Summary data. It was assumed that once the surgical deferment is over, there will be a ramp-up period; this was modeled using a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation. Total surgical backlog 2 years postsuspension was estimated. Sensitivity analyses were used to test model assumptions.
resultsAssuming cataract surgeries were to resume in May 2020, it would take 4 months under an optimistic scenario to revert to 90% of the expected pre-COVID forecasted volume. At 2-year postsuspension, the resulting backlog would be between 1.1 and 1.6 million cases. Sensitivity analyses revealed that a substantial surgical backlog would remain despite potentially lower surgical demand in the future.
conclusionsSuspension of elective cataract surgical care during the COVID-19 surge might have a lasting impact on ophthalmology and will likely result in a cataract surgical patient backlog. These data may aid physicians, payers, and policymakers in planning for postpandemic recovery.
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