---
title: The Cost of CMO to a Private Clinic
description: "Even when reimbursed, CMO is expensive for a private clinic. Each case usually generates extra OCT scans, extended steroid–NSAID courses, additional follow-up appointments and more surgeon time spent in detailed counselling. Opportunity cost is substantial: chair time devoted to prolonged…"
url: "https://bluefinvision.com/knowledge-base/topics/eye-health/the-cost-of-cmo-to-a-private-clinic/"
updated: "2026-02-18"
category: Eye Health
---

# The Cost of CMO to a Private Clinic

Even when reimbursed, CMO is expensive for a private clinic. Each case usually generates extra OCT scans, extended steroid–NSAID courses, additional follow-up appointments and more surgeon time spent in detailed counselling.

Opportunity cost is substantial: chair time devoted to prolonged recovery cannot be used for new assessments or surgery planning.

Real-world analyses show that pseudophakic CMO is associated with multiple additional eye-related outpatient visits and higher overall care costs compared with uncomplicated cataract surgery.¹

By contrast, robust prophylaxis and OCT-based surveillance reduce the incidence of clinically significant CMO and shift workload from unscheduled problem-solving to predictable, protocolised care.

In a high-volume refractive lens practice, even a 1–2% CMO rate translates into many extra visits per year.² Driving that rate towards zero is therefore both a clinical quality and business efficiency strategy.

**References**

1. Schmier JK, et al. Treatment costs of cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016;10:1237-1245.
2. Chu CJ, Johnston RL, Buscombe C, et al. Risk factors and incidence of macular edema after cataract surgery. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(2):316-323.

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