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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
Before your facility can profit
from retina, you'll have to foot
the initial capital investment in
equipment, instruments and
supplies. Glenn deBrueys, CEO
of Somerset, N.J.-based
American SurgiSite Centers,
estimates the total cost of
adding a retina service line at about $100,000 to $130,000.
The major purchase in this investment is a vitrectomy machine, which will cost at
least $60,000, although the availability of previously owned and refurbished equip-
ment can offer price variability. Lease arrangements are another option, especially
during the startup stages. "Roll-on, roll-off is how you do it until you know you have
sufficient volume," says Caroline Ivanovski-Hauser, CASC, administrator of the
Bergen-Passaic Cataract Surgery and Laser Center in Fair Lawn, N.J.
Some phacoemulsification machines can be upgraded with a vitrectomy module
for a fraction of the cost of a standalone vitrectomy machine. If your phaco is getting
on in years, though, you might consider the technology that integrates both anterior
and posterior capabilities into a single unit. "If your surgeons can agree on one man-
ufacturer or the other, this can be an economical choice," says Shawn Herman, RN,
BSN, clinical director of the Eye Center of Columbus in Ohio. Not only does combina-
tion equipment expand the number of ORs, and schedule slots, in which retina cases
can be performed, it also standardizes and reduces your supply inventory, he notes.
The operating microscope that your surgeons use for cataracts can also serve retina
cases, but it will require the attachment of wide-angle viewing and inverter acces-
sories, which enable views of the posterior segment, as well as a filter for protection
during argon laser use. These accessories will cost about $35,000, and the argon
laser about $30,000, depending on whether it is new or refurbished. A tray of retina
instruments can range from $5,000 to $15,000, and the procedure pack of dispos-
able supplies about $200. — David Bernard
Equipping Retina Cases
SIX-FIGURE INVESTMENT
