Sustainable Remote Follow-Up In Refractive Surgery: Reducing Travel And Environmental Impact

To evaluate the feasibility and environmental impact of remote post-operative follow-up in patients undergoing refractive surgery, aiming to reduce travel-related carbon emissions and promote sustainable ophthalmic practices.

Single tertiary eye care center

Patients aged 18 to 40 years undergoing refractive surgery including SmartSurface and ICL

Study period: January 2025 to December 2025

Ethics approval obtained; informed consent from all participants

Prospective observational pilot study including 50 patients (100 eyes)

Remote follow-up conducted via phone calls, video consultations, and online questionnaires

Outcomes measured: number of in-person visits avoided, patient-reported satisfaction, post-operative complications detected remotely, estimated CO2 emission reduction based on travel distance

Data analyzed as mean plus/minus standard deviation for continuous variables and percentages for categorical variables

50 patients (100 eyes), mean age 27 plus/minus 5 years, 52 percent male

Remote follow-up avoided 80 in-person visits over 6 months

Mean patient travel distance saved: 12 kilometers per visit

Estimated CO2 emission reduction: 640 kilograms CO2 over the study period

Post-operative complications detected remotely in 6 eyes (6 percent), all managed safely without additional in-person visits

Patient satisfaction with remote follow-up: 92 percent reported high satisfaction

Remote post-operative follow-up in refractive surgery is feasible, safe, and well-accepted by patients. Implementing remote follow-up can substantially reduce patient travel and associated carbon emissions, supporting sustainable ophthalmic practices while maintaining high-quality post-operative care.