[Cost of phacoemulsification in the national campaign of elective cataract surgery in Itápolis, SP, Brazil].

Purpose: To determine the average cost of cataract surgery using the phacoemulsification technique with intraocular lens implant (IOL). This study was conducted during a national campaign to treat patients with cataracts promoted by the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology (CBO) and the Health Ministry in the city of Itápolis-SP from March to December, 2000.

Methods: All expenses related to the surgery were collected (pre-, intra-, and postoperative data) and analyzed.