[Cost of managing cataracts. Evaluation of traditional hospitalization and ambulatory surgery].
OBJECTIVE
Demonstrate eventual differences and evaluate the medical costs of treatment of a cataract in traditional hospitalisation and out-patient surgical conditions.


METHODS
We conducted a study of minimisation costs in 3 ophthalmologic hospital departments. This retrospective study randomly selected the medical files of 250 patients (100 operated in the out-patient surgical department and 150 operated in traditional surgical conditions). Costs were evaluated on direct hospital costs, according to the standard costs method and the method of true costs.


RESULTS
The mean total cost of a cataract is of 10,984 F in traditional hospital conditions and of 7,683 F in out-patient surgical conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
In terms of direct hospital costs, treatment of cataracts in out-patient surgery appears more economic compared with traditional surgery. The difference in cost concerned the fixed hospital charges (structures and staff).


CONCLUSIONS
Out-patient surgery will progress in France in the next few years, but traditional hospitalisation will still be required in ophthalmologic practice.
Nghiem-Buffet
M H
MH
Service d'Ophthalmologie, Hôpital Avicenne, 125 Route de Stalingrad, 93009 Bobigny.
de Pouvourville
G
G
Renard
G
G
Ullern
M
M
Boureau
C
C
Chaine
G
G
D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005602:France; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular / Q000191:economics; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies