Cost-utility analyses of cataract surgery in vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy

Purpose To explore the cost utility of cataract surgery in patients with stabilized vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (DR). Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Design Prospective case series. Methods Patients diagnosed with cataracts combined with stabilized vision-threatening DR had successful phacoemulsification with foldable posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. The corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and utility value obtained using the time tradeoff method at 3-month postoperative intervals were compared with those preoperative values. The cost per quality-adjusted life year gained was calculated using the bootstrap method. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results. Results The study comprised 126 patients (153 eyes). All surgeries were successful. The weighted logMAR CDVA changed from 0.82 logMAR ± 0.34 (SD) to 0.58 ± 0.30 logMAR ( P P Conclusion Cataract surgery was a cost-effective intervention for patients with coexisting, stabilized, vision-threatening DR.