Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology Forecast 2026-2035

Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness globally and contributes significantly to severe visual impairment in developing regions. According to Bizuneh et al., 2024, cataract is responsible for bilateral blindness in approximately 45 million people worldwide. A study conducted in Punjab reported that 69.4% of blindness cases were associated with cataract surgery-related complications. As per the cataract surgery complications epidemiology forecast, postoperative complications remain a significant clinical concern affecting visual outcomes.

Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology Forecast Report Coverage

The analyst's “Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology Forecast Report 2026-2035” offers comprehensive information on the prevalence and demographics of cataract surgery complications. It projects the future incidence and prevalence rates of cataract surgery complications cases across various populations. The study covers age, gender, and type as major determinants of the cataract surgery complications population. The report highlights patterns in the prevalence of cataract surgery complications over time and projects future trends based on multiple variables.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the disease, as well as historical and projected data on the epidemiology of cataract surgery complications in the 8 major markets.

Regions Covered

• The United States
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• The United Kingdom
• Japan
• India

Cataract Surgery Complications Understanding: Disease Overview

Cataract surgery complications encompass a spectrum of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events that may arise following surgical removal of the crystalline lens and implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL). While phacoemulsification, the predominant surgical technique globally, has significantly reduced the incidence of major complications, they remain a clinically important concern given the extraordinary volume of procedures performed each year. Intraoperative complications include posterior capsule rupture, vitreous loss, zonular dehiscence, and suprachoroidal hemorrhage. Postoperative complications encompass posterior capsule opacification (PCO), cystoid macular edema (CME), endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, and corneal edema. Risk factors include advanced patient age, diabetes mellitus, pseudoexfoliation syndrome, high myopia, and surgeon experience level. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) has been introduced to reduce some intraoperative risks, though its higher cost profile limits widespread adoption in lower-resource settings.

Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology Perspective

The cataract surgery complications epidemiology division offers information on the patient pool from history to the present as well as the projected trend for each of the 8 major markets. The analyst provides both current and predicted trends for the cataract surgery complications epidemiology scenario by examining a wide range of studies. Additionally, the report covers the diagnosed patient pool for cataract surgery complications and their trends. The data is broken down into specific categories, such as total prevalent cases in males and females, and total diagnosed cases across different age groups and patient pools.

• According to Xinyi Chen et al., 2021, cataract remains the leading cause of blindness worldwide, affecting about 65.2 million people. Approximately 51% of global blindness is linked to cataract, with around 18 million individuals experiencing bilateral blindness due to the condition.
• As per Xinyi Chen et al., 2021, cataract prevalence among individuals aged 40 years and older ranges from 11.8% to 18.8%, indicating a strong age-related distribution. Cataract surgery remains the only effective treatment, with more than 26 million procedures performed globally each year.
• According to Rohan Bir Singh et al., 2026, cataract prevalence among United States adults aged 65 years and older increased from 36.38% in 2014 to 37.03% in 2021, with the national disease burden rising from 15.7 million to 19.6 million cases
• As per Rohan Bir Singh et al., 2026, gender differences are evident in cataract epidemiology, with females showing significantly higher prevalence compared with males among older adults. Racial variations were also observed, with the highest prevalence reported among White individuals.
• According to Hashemi, Hassan et al., 2025, the global cataract surgical rate varies widely from 36 to 12,800 surgeries per million population, while average surgical coverage remains around 50% or lower in many countries, contributing to uneven complication risks and treatment access.
• According to Eye Health Central, global years lived with disability due to cataracts increased from 3.42 million in 1990 to 6.55 million in 2021, representing a 91.8% rise. This increase reflects expanding surgical volumes worldwide and a larger population potentially exposed to cataract surgery-related complications.

Country-wise Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology

The cataract surgery complications epidemiology data and findings for the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and India are also provided in the epidemiology section.

The epidemiological burden associated with cataract surgery complications reflects the high prevalence of cataracts and the large volume of procedures across major healthcare regions. According to the Rohan Bir Singh et al., 2026, approximately 24.4 million individuals aged 40 years and older in the United States are affected by cataracts, highlighting the substantial surgical population. As per Eye Health Central, cataracts account for nearly 45% of global blindness, affecting around 15.2 million individuals, and contribute to moderate to severe visual impairment in about 78.8 million people worldwide. In Asia, cataract prevalence among individuals aged over 50 in China is estimated at 27.45%. Additionally, cataract prevalence increases significantly with age, rising from 3.9% among individuals aged 55-64 years to 92.6% among those aged 80 years and older, underscoring the growing surgical demand across regions, including India, Japan, and major European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

Cataract Surgery Complications: Treatment Overview

Management of cataract surgery complications varies according to the nature and severity of the adverse event. Posterior capsule rupture may require anterior vitrectomy and careful IOL placement strategies. Posterior capsule opacification, the most common long-term complication, is effectively managed with neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy. Endophthalmitis, though rare, is a vision-threatening emergency requiring immediate intravitreal antibiotic injection and, in severe cases, vitrectomy. Cystoid macular edema is typically managed with topical or intravitreal anti-inflammatory agents. The introduction of FLACS and advanced IOL technologies aims to reduce intraoperative complication rates, while improved surgical training and quality assurance programs support improved outcomes at the population level.

Key Questions Answered

• What are the key findings of cataract surgery complications epidemiology in the 8 major markets?
• What will be the total number of patients with cataract surgery complications across the 8 major markets during the forecast period?
• What was the country-wise cataract surgery complications epidemiology scenario in the 8 major markets in the historical period?
• Which country will have the highest number of cataract surgery complications patients during the forecast period of 2026-2035?
• Which key factors would influence the shift in the patient population of cataract surgery complications during the forecast period of 2026-2035?
• What are the currently available treatments for cataract surgery complications?
• What are the disease risks, signs, symptoms, and unmet needs of cataract surgery complications?

Scope of the Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology Report

• The report covers a detailed analysis of signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment options, and classification/types of Cataract Surgery Complications based on several factors.
• Cataract Surgery Complications Epidemiology Forecast Report covers data for the eight major markets (the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, and India).
• The cataract surgery complications report helps to identify the patient population, and the unmet needs are highlighted along with an assessment of the disease's risk and burden.