September 17, 2025
1 min read
Key takeaways:
- The ophthalmic case load is expanding as the baby boomer population ages.
- Coordination of care is needed across eye care.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Handling the ophthalmic case load for the aging baby boomer population will require a coordinated effort across eye care, according to a speaker.
At the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting, Mats Lündstrom, MD, of Sweden said the youngest baby boomers are already 61 years old, and as this group ages, the number of older individuals is going to grow exponentially.
Data were derived from Lündstrom M. Navigating the baby boomer impact. Presented at: European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting; Sept. 12-16, 2025; Copenhagen, Denmark.
“This will impact, of course, all of health care, but what about ophthalmology?” he said. “We have frequent ophthalmic diseases that are age related — cataract, wet or dry macular degeneration, and glaucoma.”
Lündstrom said the case load for ophthalmic diseases is already high and will grow as the baby boomer population ages. It is a challenge that will affect all of eye care, from primary care and optometry to ophthalmology.
To meet this demand, Lündstrom said there are a few areas eye care can focus on.
One strategy is to increase personnel, including ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, scrub nurses, assistant nurses, optometrists and opticians. He said some have brought up the possibility of being overstaffed after the baby boomer population starts to decrease, but he doubts it will be a problem.
Mats Lündstrom
“There is ongoing development in ophthalmology in new treatments and challenges,” he said.
Another avenue is to increase the involvement of primary care. Lündstrom said many primary care doctors will immediately refer patients to eye clinics for even routine eye diseases. There may be opportunities to create more cooperation through education and agreements between the two groups.
Handling the influx of cases might necessitate changing the way care is organized, Lündstrom said. In Sweden, the number of cataract surgeries performed by private practice has steadily grown. When the Swedish National Cataract Register was created in 1992, every case was handled in the public sector. By 2023, half those cases were performed in private practice, he said.
Finally, Lündstrom said there might need to be a change in what he called “tempo in treatment.” Resources may not allow for long-term monitoring, he said.
“Instead, you have to go to action,” Lündstrom said. “Quick decision-making and action have to replace long-term follow-up.”
Sources/Disclosures
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Lündstrom M. Navigating the baby boomer impact. Presented at: European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting; Sept. 12-16, 2025; Copenhagen, Denmark.
Disclosures:
Lündstrom reports no relevant financial disclosures.
