Impact of Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Rate of Elective Cataract Surgeries at a Tertiary Referral Center: A Polish Perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of elective cataract surgeries. A retrospective single-center consecutive case series study was performed. We included all 12,464 patients who received cataract surgery in the period between 1 January 2016 and 31 May 2021. Monthly numbers of cataract surgeries during the pandemic were compared with monthly numbers in the reference years 2016–2019. In the pandemic the number of cataract surgeries decreased by 53.4%. The monthly numbers during the first, second and third wave of the pandemic were 77.5%, 51.5% and 29.7% lower, respectively, compared with the reference level. No rebound effect was observed once the pandemic restrictions were eased. Simultaneous bilateral cataract surgeries (SBCS) constituted 6.5% of cataract procedures performed in April and May 2021 compared with 0.77% carried out between May 2019 and March 2021. While the pandemic-affected monthly numbers of cataract surgeries tend to increase recently, they are still below the prepandemic level. Patients should be encouraged to weigh the risks of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality against the benefits of cataract surgery. Reorganization of the logistics of cataract services is advisable with consideration of SBCS as one of the options.