Clinical and economic impacts of optical coherence tomography prior to cataract surgery in a low-to-middle-income country
Inkarbekov M. Kulmaganbetov M. Bazarbekova G. Baiyrkhanova A. Thompson B.
2026Frontiers Media SA
Frontiers in Ophthalmology
2026#6
Background: Integrating optical coherence tomography (OCT) into the pre-surgical stage of cataract management holds significant clinical and economic potential, particularly in low-to-middle-income countries like Kazakhstan. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate these impacts by prospectively recruiting 225 patients, aged 71 ± 6 years, from two ophthalmology surgical centers in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Methods: Patients undergoing phacoemulsification of cataracts with monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation between January 2022 and December 2023 were divided into two groups: the OCT group (n=75) received pre-operative OCT, while the Control group (n=150) did not. Visual acuity (VA) was measured pre- and post-surgery, and the cost-effectiveness of the surgical strategies was analyzed. Results: The OCT group experienced a significantly greater improvement in VA (-0.647 ± 0.232 logMAR) compared to the Control group (-0.543 ± 0.244 logMAR), with a notable interaction between time and group (F(df) = 396.5, p< 0.001). Additionally, pre-existing concomitant diseases were diagnosed in 24.8% of cases in the OCT group and 31% in the Control group. Conclusion: The economic analysis revealed that the integration of OCT facilitated combined surgical procedures during a single operative session, thereby reducing overall costs. These findings suggest that implementing OCT in the pre-surgical stage of cataract management can significantly enhance visual outcomes and decrease the cost of ophthalmology services in Kazakhstan. Copyright
cataract , cost-effectiveness , Kazakhstan , optical coherence tomography , visual acuity
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Ophthalmology Department, Kazakh-Russian Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Evidence-Based Medicine, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Glaucoma, Kazakh Eye Research Institute, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Quantum Optics Lab, Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), Hong Kong
Department of Oncology with Radiology Course, Kazakh-Russian Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Health Policy and Management, Kazakh National Medical University named after S. D. Asfendiyarov, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Medicine, International Kazakh-Turkish University named after K.A. Yassawi, Turkestan, Kazakhstan
School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Ophthalmology Department
Department of Epidemiology
Department of Glaucoma
Quantum Optics Lab
Department of Oncology with Radiology Course
Department of Health Policy and Management
Department of Medicine
School of Optometry and Vision Science
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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026