Swiss-American pharmaceutical and medical device company Alcon has announced the results of the Alcon Eye on Cataract survey conducted in March-April 2023 across 10 countries, including India, amongst people aged 50+ years to gather insights on vision and cataract.

The sample included people who had been diagnosed with cataract in the last five years and were either waiting for or had undergone cataract surgery. It also included people in the general population over the age of 50 years who had not been diagnosed with cataract. The survey shows that patients who have undergone cataract surgery agree they have an improvement in vision as well as their overall quality of life. 

In India, people ranked vision #1 above memory and mobility as an important aspect of ageing. Most Indians (90%) are willing to invest in cataract surgery to ensure vision clarity.

Interestingly, 54% of people in India stated they feel older because of wearing glasses and 92% of Indians aged 50+ are willing to pay for a lens that would liberate them from the need of glasses. With regards to information on cataract surgery, in India, 59% of people stated they were likely to consult eye care professionals, while 39% and 37% mentioned family and friends respectively, and 36% cited health-specific websites.

Amar Vyas, Country Manager of Alcon India, said, “The survey findings underscore the need to educate patients about their options for clear vision post-cataract surgery. Cataract surgery replaces the clouded lens with an advanced technology intraocular lens. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only restore vision to pre-cataract clarity but also to correct refractive errors such as presbyopia and astigmatism while reducing the need for glasses.”