OBJECTIVES: The ophthalmology field has a significant impact on one-day surgery in the Hungarian health care sector. There are interventions, which have been performed in inpatient form and in one-day surgery form as well. The aim of the study was to analyse the number of interventions which were performed in inpatient and one-day surgery form, to assess which one could play a significant role in cataract waiting list reduction process in Hungary.

METHODS: The database of this research was provided by the National Health Administration Fund, which consist of all cataract interventions which had an obligation in Hungary to register their waiting lists between 2010-2017. We arranged our datas according to WHO codes (51460, 51470, 51471, 51474, 51475, 51574), form of the health services, case numbers, as well as reimbursement categories.

RESULTS: According to our results, there were 546,541 cases which were provided in the above-mentioned period in Hungary. In the first year of the examined period we found that 2/3 of the cases were provided in inpatient form (35,931 cases). We have found a change in trend between 2011-2017: most of the analysed interventions were accomplished in one-day surgery form. Those interventions, which were analysed in this research (546,541 cases), more than 71% were performed in one-day surgery form (388,349 cases). According to our results 96 % of all cases were WHO 51474 interventions (523,741 cases), which were performed more than 72% in the form of one-day surgery (380,291 cases).

CONCLUSIONS: We could identify an increasing tendency in the aspects of cataract case numbers in the examined period, nevertheless the tendency was maintained by the significant accumulation of one-day surgery cases. We could declare that one-day surgery, as a health care form could be significant in cataract waiting list reduction process in Hungary.