Eye and Adnexa Procedures Profile in the Past Two Decades: A Descriptive Time-Trend Study from Australian Hospitals.

Background: Adnexa is defined as the accessory structures that are involved in protecting and supporting the function of the eye. Understanding ophthalmic procedure trends aids considerably in developing healthcare plans. This research seeks to study trends in eye and adnexa procedures in Australia from 2000 to 2023. Method: This study was a descriptive time-trend study. We collected procedure data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) and population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) dataset between 2000 and 2023. Eye and adnexa procedures were identified using the codes (160-256). We analyzed procedure data based on gender, age and same-day status. Results: Over the study period, the total number of eye and adnexa procedures of recorded cases in Australia was 10,567,738. Procedure’s rate increased from 1,041.39 (95% CI 1036.86-1,045.92) to 3,474.91 (95% CI 3,467.95-3,481.86) per 100,000 population-years. The annual number and rate of eye and adnexa procedures increased by 3.61 times and 2.34 times, respectively. The bulk of cases were between females and the older population. Regarding the same-day status, the same-day procedures accounted for most cases. Besides, procedures on “anterior segment-lens” accounted for most cases (65.6%) of eye and adnexa procedures. Conclusion: There has been a significant increase in eye and adnexa procedures in Australia, partly due to an aging population. Anterior segment-lens procedures accounted for the majority of eye and adnexa procedures. Targeted prevention strategies for age-related lens diseases are needed. Implementing age- and gender-specific strategies, based on the type of procedure prevalent in each group, could help reduce the number of procedures required by the population, thereby reducing the burden on the population and healthcare services.