PURPOSE: To compare the costs of cataract surgery for a public hospital, the government and the society between the techniques of phacoemulsification (PHACO) and extracapsular cataract extraction (EECP). METHODS: A review based on several clinical studies between 2002 and 2010 at the Ambulatorial Surgical Center of the University of São Paulo. RESULTS: The estimated expenses associated with medical supplies used for surgery were R$ 468.92 and R$ 259.96 in the PHACO and EECP groups respectivelly. The hospital expenditures in the postoperative follow-up was approximately R$ 16.40 (42%) lower in the PHACO. Regarding the estimated spending for Social Security, the EECP group cost an average, US$ 44.58 per patient more than the PHACO group.
Cataract extraction; Phacoemulsification; Costs and cost analysis; Helath care costs
