Cataract surgery and intraocular lens manufacturing in India.
OBJECTIVE
Cataract surgery in India has seen exponential growth in the past decade. This leap was possible due to cost-effective cataract surgery with intraocular lenses. The purpose of this review is to update the reader regarding the Indian scenario of cataract surgery and intraocular lens manufacturing.


RESULTS
India performed an estimated 0.5 million cataract surgeries in 1981-1982; this increased to 4.8 million in 2006 with 90% intraocular lens acceptance. There has been a sustained shift from sutured extracapsular cataract surgery to small-incision cataract surgery. Phacoemulsification with foldable lenses is becoming the surgical choice in the urban setting. The Indian intraocular lens industry is maturing from a low-cost manufacturer to a quality-conscious, technology-driven and value-priced industry to meet present and future market needs.


CONCLUSIONS
The burden of cataract blindness is a major challenge for all developing countries. India has managed to improve its cataract surgical rate by an amalgam of factors such as low surgical costs, low-cost indigenous eye-care consumables, infrastructure development and enhanced training. The findings from this review will be useful to develop strategies to enhance the uptake of cataract surgery in developing countries.
Aravind
Srinivasan
S
Cataract and IOL Services, Aravind Eye Hospitals and Post Graduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India. s.aravind@aravind.org
Haripriya
Aravind
A
Sumara Taranum
B Syeda
BS
D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D015995:Prevalence; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care