Optegra Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Pedro Muel, presented the latest outcomes from Optegra’s drop-free NHS cataract surgery program at the 2026 SECOIR (Spanish Society of Implant-Refractive Ocular Surgery Congress) meeting (May 6-9, A Coruña, Spain), where he also received the award for Best Oral Communication in Lens Surgery.
Mr. Muel shared real-world outcomes from Optegra’s drop-free cataract surgery pathway, which removes the need for patients to administer post-operative eye drops at home.
“Drop-free cataract surgery has made a huge difference to our Optegra UK patients, both in terms of medical efficacy and improved convenience,” said Mr Muel. “We wanted to share these results in Spain to help begin the conversation about this revolutionary progression in patient care.”
The outcomes presented included data from more than 17,000 NHS patients treated across Optegra’s UK network over the past year. Results showed a cystoid macular edema (CME) rate of 2.9%, compared with 3.55% reported with standard drop regimes, and an intraocular pressure (IOP) rate of 0.52% versus 0.68% under conventional protocols.
“In Spain, this approach represents a major departure from traditional practice, but it was met with genuine interest and excitement,” Mr. Muel added. “This was a first step toward achieving real change for cataract surgery in España.”
The congress also carried personal significance for Mr. Muel, who attended alongside his father, also an ophthalmologist, who first brought him to SECOIR as a child.
“We share a passion for providing exceptional eye health, so to experience this together was very special,” he said.
Optegra Eye Health Care performs more than 170,000 treatments annually across its network of 74 eye hospitals in Europe.
