European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) 2025 annual meeting

Towards sustainable ophthalmology: the environmental impact of refractive surgery

This presentation addressed the challenges of environmental sustainability in refractive surgery in a context where the health sector represents a significant part of global carbon emissions. As the demand for refractive surgery continues to increase, it is becoming essential to assess its environmental impact and identify areas for improvement.

The data presented shows that the laser refractive surgery constitutes, in the long term, a more sustainable alternative to glasses and contact lenses, avoiding the continuous production of plastics, packaging, chemical solutions and the repeated transport associated with optical devices. The SMILE seems to be the technique with the lowest carbon footprint, followed by LASIK, then PRK.

Refractive surgery with implants such as ICL, clear lens exchange and the use of premium IOLs, has a carbon footprint comparable to that of cataract surgery, in particular due to consumables and packaging, paving the way for targeted reduction strategies (packaging optimisation, dematerialisation of instructions).

Finally, several future axes are proposed: encourage research on the real carbon footprint of various techniques, raise awareness among patients and professionals about lasting potential of refractive surgery, and promote recyclable optical solutions for patients who are not eligible for surgery.