Cataract Surgery at Scale

How cataract surgery restores sight in about 15 minutes with an artificial lens, why India performs millions of these surgeries a year, and why it's highly cost-effective.

Cataract surgery restores sight.

The surgery

The cloudy lens is removed.
An intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted.
It can take about 15 minutes.

Scale

India performs millions of cataract surgeries a year.

Techniques

Manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS), common in India, is cheap and effective.

Cost-effectiveness

Cataract surgery is among the most cost-effective health interventions, restoring years of productive life.

Camps

Eye camps screen villagers and bring them to hospitals for surgery.

The restored sight

A grandmother blind from cataracts sees her grandchildren clearly the day after surgery.

Thinking cataract surgery is complex and costly

It's quick and cheap.

Key takeaways

Cataract surgery replaces the lens.
India performs millions a year.
MSICS is cheap and effective.
It's highly cost-effective.