Current Trends and Acceptance of Bilateral Same-day Surgery

Bilateral same-day cataract surgery has become a topic of controversy over the past several years, particularly with the increased focus on refractive procedures such as clear lens extraction and phakic intraocular lenses (IOLs). Patient expectations have risen as they have come to expect an almost instant and complete correction of vision with their intraocular surgical procedure, comparable with corneal refractive procedures.

Interestingly, bilateral same-day cataract surgery has always been accepted in veterinary medicine and in children born with bilateral congenital cataracts. It has become a common practice in several areas around the world, including countries such as Finland and Sweden. It has also been accepted in situations involving some of our highest risk patients such as small children, mentally challenged, and the demented elderly that require general anesthesia.