2019 to 2020 Saw 17.9 Percent Decrease in Ophthalmic Procedures in Seniors
TUESDAY, Feb. 18, 2025 -- There was a notable decrease in common ophthalmic procedures among Medicare beneficiaries during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Raziyeh Mahmoudzadeh, M.D., from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and colleagues estimated changes in the rates of the 10 most prevalent ophthalmic procedures among Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic in a retrospective U.S. cross-sectional study. The analyses included 3,879,533 procedure entries in 2019 and 3,181,439 entries in 2020.
The researchers found that from 2019 to 2020, there was a −17.9 percent overall decrease in the rates of the 10 ophthalmic procedures. The largest reduction was seen for laser peripheral iridotomy, while the smallest decrease was seen for eye drug injections (−43.6 and −1.5 percent, respectively). There was a reduction of −23.0 percent in cataract surgery. Regionally, the greatest reductions in cataract surgery occurred in the Northeast (−27.9 percent).
"Our results demonstrated an overall decrease of 17.9 percent in the rates of the 10 most prevalent ophthalmic procedures during the pandemic," the authors write. "This reduction appears less substantial compared with other fields of medicine, like ear nose and throat, where up to 98 percent reduction in volume of surgical procedures was reported."
One author disclosed financial ties to Regeneron, Astellas, Apellis, and Allergan.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
Metabolic Surgery Has Greater Long-Term Benefits Than GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 -- People with obesity and type 2 diabetes who undergo metabolic surgery live longer and face fewer serious health problems compared with patients treated...
Remote Perioperative Telemonitoring Beneficial After Cancer Surgery
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2025 -- Remote perioperative telemonitoring (RPM) improves postoperative functional recovery and symptoms among patients undergoing surgery for cancer...
Shunt Surgery Beneficial in Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2025 -- Shunt surgery significantly improves gait velocity at three months among patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus with a response to...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.