ESCRS Endorses Position Paper on Multi-Use Phacoemulsification Supplies

ESCRS and three other multinational societies of cataract and refractive surgeons have jointly endorsed a position paper on the importance of multi-use phacoemulsification cassettes to safely reduce unnecessary surgical waste.

The paper calls on industry to prioritize development of multi-use supply options for every phacoemulsification machine platform and for regulatory agencies to facilitate review and approval of these products.

This marks the first time that ESCRS, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS), and the Latin American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (LATAMSCRS) have collaborated on a joint position paper. The paper was developed in conjunction with EyeSustain, a global coalition of ESCRS and more than 50 other ophthalmology societies.

The position paper is an evidence-based review of the global phacoemulsification cassette market, global survey data on surgeon practices and opinions, and published evidence supporting cassette reuse safety and the impact on unnecessary carbon emissions and non-recyclable plastic waste from this practice. The paper argues that, with 30 million cataract surgeries being performed each year worldwide, multi-use cassettes and other supplies should be offered as an option for every phacoemulsification machine.

The paper also encourages surgeons and their facilities to consider adopting waste- and cost-reducing multi-use phacoemulsification supply options when available. The resulting savings in manufacturing, packaging, and shipping costs should reduce facility costs, improve operating room efficiency, and dramatically reduce unnecessary waste without compromising safety.

Available evidence has not demonstrated that single-use phacoemulsification cassettes are safer compared to reusable cassettes. Many facilities worldwide reuse single-use cassettes off-label, particularly in Asian and Pacific markets. Day cassettes reused for multiple consecutive patients without sterilization are available for a few machines in some markets but are not offered by the largest machine manufacturers accounting for the majority of global market share.