Barriers to cataract surgery: Patients’ perspective from a charitable eye center in Saudi Arabia
Yahya Al-Najmi, Mohammed Albeedh, Abdulrahman Alsaggaf, Ehab Haggag Karamallah, Mohamed A. Bin Sadeiq, Khalid Al-Saggaf, Hussain Al SaggafAbstract:
BACKGROUND:
To investigate the barriers perceived by patients with cataract-related severe visual impairment seeking cataract surgery at a charitable eye center in western Saudi Arabia.
METHODS:
This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2024 to interview patients seeking cataract surgery for visual disability at our charitable eye center. Twelve questions addressing known barriers to cataract surgery were administered, and participants’ responses were used to calculate a barrier score. The barrier score was correlated with demographic variables. Significant predictors of barriers to cataract surgery were examined using regression analysis.
RESULTS:
We surveyed 101 individuals with cataract-related visual impairment. The main barriers included nonaffordability (98%), lack of knowledge (76%), nonavailability of health insurance coverage (81%), fear of surgery (83%), and ocular comorbidities (70%). Female sex (
CONCLUSIONS:
Cataract patients in Saudi Arabia perceive significant barriers to visiting charitable eye centers, which must be addressed to improve cataract surgery rates and prevent avoidable blindness among these unique Saudi citizens, expatriates, and visitors. Future policies should target the subgroups identified in this study as having higher barrier scores.