Environmental Impact of Eye Care Procedures and Visual Healthcare Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Reusable surgical instruments can significantly cut emissions in eye care procedures.
Environmental Impact of Eye Care Procedures and Visual Healthcare Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Eye care procedures, including cataract surgery, one of the most common globally, generate considerable carbon emissions and waste.
Data were extracted independently by 2 reviewers following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis 2020 guidelines and assessed for methodological quality using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies tool.
From 14 955 initial records, 26 studies met inclusion criteria, with 15 eligible for meta-analysis.
Reported carbon footprints varied widely across procedures and settings, with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 100%) precluding the calculation of a meaningful pooled estimate.
Cataract surgery exhibited the highest reported footprint (up to 322 kg CO₂e), followed by trabeculectomies (99-126 kg CO₂e) and intravitreal injections (13.7-277 kg CO₂e).
Consumption per cataract surgery varied between 17.8 and 35.09 kWh, strongly influenced by the source of electricity.
Eye care procedures contribute significantly to healthcare's environmental burden.
Targeted sustainability interventions, supported by systemic institutional reforms, offer promising pathways to reduce emissions and promote environmentally responsible visual healthcare.
However, conclusions should be interpreted with caution, given the low to very low certainty of the available evidence.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.