ArticleInternational journal of ophthalmology2025
Environmental impact of patient travel for cataract surgery.
Article in International journal of ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimTo analyze the environmental impact of patient travel for cataract surgery at a German ophthalmology center.
methodsAll cataract surgeries performed between October 23 and October 27, 2023, were analyzed, and all patient records were reviewed for follow-up visits. All travel distances were calculated, and the associated emissions were quantified. Additionally, patients' utilization of geographically closer branch practices for follow-up care was evaluated, along with the corresponding effects on travel-related emissions.
resultsA total of 69 patients underwent unilateral cataract surgery. The average one-way travel distance was 40.1 km (24.9 mi; SD = 23.6 km). Corresponding emissions were 1284.8 kg of greenhouse gas (GHG), 2.477 kg of nitrogen oxides, and 0.101 kg of particulates. All patients attended at least two follow-up visits. Conducting follow-up visits at branch practices reduced travel distance by 49.1%. The associated GHG emissions from all travel were 1984.3 kg. Emissions from follow-up visits were 54.4% higher than those from the surgery itself. Total GHG emissions amounted to 3269.1 kg, with an average of 47.4 kg of GHG per patient for all travel associated with cataract surgery.
conclusionA dense network of branch practices contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of cataract surgery-related patient travel; however, the development of digital health approaches for follow-up care is necessary to further optimize the environmental sustainability of cataract surgery.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.