Cataract Surgery

3 Million Annually

Nearly 21 million Americans over the age of 40 are affected by cataracts, a condition that causes a clouding in the lens of the eye or the lens capsule. Issues can range in severity from mild vision impairment to complete blindness. Of those, 3 million Americans will undergo cataract surgery each year, a minimally invasive procedure with a 98 percent success rate for correcting vision loss. According to Mayo Clinic, this procedure was performed in 2011 at a rate of 1,100 people per 100,000, and the rate of women having the procedure performed was significantly higher than in men.

Knee Replacements

621,029 Annually

Number two on the Baby Boomer procedure list, knee replacement surgeries are expected to continue to increase. According to the AHA, they predict an 800 percent rise by 2030. Women are more likely to have knee replacement surgery, both because they are more likely to go to a doctor to deal with knee discomfort and because they are more likely to develop an autoimmune condition called rheumatoid arthritis, which attacks the joints and damages the knees. Doctors are still wary of treating younger patients (especially those under 50) with these procedures. As the procedure wears out, it needs to be repeated, and each surgery comes with risks - which range from infections and blood clots to reactions to anesthesia.

As these procedures become more common, the medical industry has focused on eliminating the one-size-fits-all approach to artificial knees, focusing instead on using computer imaging that allows them to map out a person’s individual knee dimensions, making it possible to create an entirely custom knee that suits the individual patient. In addition, knee replacements are being constructed from newer materials that will allow them to last longer, without the need to have the procedure repeated as often.