German Market for Cataract Surgery

Abstract

The market for cataract surgery, in which the clouded lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an artificial lens, has been growing globally. Advances in the past decades have led to the introduction of high-volume cataract surgery within developing countries. High-volume cataract surgery enables up to 10-fold-increases in efficiency compared to methods used in developed countries. These efficiency gains present huge market potential and their utilization within developed countries should be looked into. This research takes a look at the German market for cataract surgery in order to provide an understanding of the key characteristics of the market, as well as its future trends. A fast-growing market is identified and asserted to be caused by three key characteristics. Firstly, a low number of elderly due to the second world war is identified. Secondly, A high number of middle-aged inhabitants is established. Third and last, gains in efficiency and their causal relation to increases in demand is established. These key characteristics are then argued to provide significant, yet temporary, market growth within the coming decades. In addition, this research provides a glimpse in to the current efficiency of the market, as well as the financial aspects. The findings suggest that the German market for cataract surgery has not reached the efficiency levels of high-volume cataract surgery, and that therefore an entity providing it should be able to provide such a service in a financially viable way.