Purpose of review: Simultaneous bilateral cataract surgery (SBCS) is gaining in popularity worldwide. Whereas 5 or 10 years ago, it was only performed by scattered individual surgeons, it is now rapidly becoming accepted and mainstream.
Recent findings: Cataract surgery is generally performed on older patients. The reduction in medical visits, avoidance of interprocedural anisometropia and decreased stereopsis, and very rapid rehabilitation made possible by SBCS make the surgery much easier on the patients and their families. The fears of SBCS, most notably bilateral postoperative endophthalmitis, seem unfounded, as long as established precautions are followed. Some jurisdictions continue to penalize surgeons financially for performing SBCS, thus discouraging its spread. Unlike the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, UK, Surgery Guidelines, the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2006 Preferred Practice Patterns do not include relative indications for SBCS.
Summary: SBCS will likely become rapidly more common around the world during the coming decade, to the great benefit of patients, institutions, and funding agencies.