‘Bilateral same-day cataract surgery should routinely be offered to patients’ – Yes

For some, the very mention of immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) or cataract surgery to both eyes on the same day would invoke a strong gut reaction and vehement objection. Although at one time there was good reason for this, advances in technology in cataract surgery have been dramatic. We now perform cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia through ever smaller corneal wounds that allow for more predictable refractive outcomes, quicker visual recovery, and quicker refractive stabilisation. The bulk of cataract operations are now done as a day-case procedure. Cataract surgery nowadays has a generally very low rate of complications, and we would argue that ISBCS has now become a viable and safe alternative. We have learnt from LASIK that bilateral simultaneous surgery is a viable option if the complication rate is low and the visual recovery is rapid.