[Director Nakamura] Same-day surgery for both eyes

Our hospital has long been performing cataract surgery on both eyes on the same day.

A long time ago, when I became an ophthalmologist, surgeries were performed on one eye at a time, requiring a one-week hospital stay.In both eyes, I was hospitalized for two weeks.The patients were in good health, so they wore eye patches and were leisurely wandering around the ward.It was a relaxing time.

After that, it became possible to perform surgery with small incisions, and the length of hospital stay gradually became shorter.
Furthermore, day surgery without hospitalization has become mainstream in Japan.Eye patches were no longer required, and it was finally possible to have both eyes operated on the same day.

However, some ophthalmologists express negative opinions about having both eyes operated on the same day.At our hospital, we generally do it on a different day, and only those who wish can do it on the same day.However, when the lid is opened, about 7% of patients request surgery on the same day.I think people choose this method because it shortens hospital visits and allows them to get rid of unpleasant tasks all at once.

After the surgery, you may feel dazed, but you will be able to walk normally, so please take a taxi and go home.If you live far away, please use a hotel.

Now, there are pros and cons to same-day surgery, but the other day an article was published in the prestigious British medical journal "Lancet" about the benefits of same-day surgery.Its contents are
"Compared with unilateral cataract surgery, same-day bilateral cataract surgery was no less safe and effective, and was more cost-effective. If strictly controlled, it could save hundreds of millions of yen annually. It was estimated that it would be possible.”
It was that.

Same-day surgery is friendly to both patients and Japan's medical insurance finances.For this reason, we will continue to confidently perform same-day surgery on both eyes for patients who request it.