"Refractive cataract surgery has become outcomes-based/lifestyle
cataract surgery," says Deb Cochran, administrator of The Surgery
Center in Traverse City, Mich. "The doctor and the team's desire to
deliver great outcomes for the patient is key. The technology is
impressive. Combine education with high-level surgeon skill and a
supportive and skilled team, and you'll deliver and have a happier
patient."
As you'll see in this rundown of 10 recent cataract innovations, the
one factor that can temper the enthusiasm of ophthalmic administra-
tors is cost. If it's going to increase case costs, the innovation had bet-
ter be something, many say.
1. Femtosecond laser. About 39% of respondents offer femtosecond
laser cataract surgery at their facilities, up slightly from 35.5% in last
year's Cataract Technology Survey. Of those, most (45.5%) own the
laser, 27.3% lease it, 16.9% outsource it and 10.4% lease it via a
"bundling arrangement," meaning they pay for the use of the laser by
agreeing to buy IOLs and supplies from the vendor.
One respondent says her facility took out a 12-month lease from the
femto manufacturer with the option to buy after 1 year. "If we buy,
then the lease payment goes toward the purchase price," she says.
Eye centers that have a femto laser are getting a lot out of it, using it
in 27.1% of their cataract cases. More facilities are planning to add
laser cataract surgery. Nearly one-third (31.7%) of respondents say it's
likely that they'll add femto within the next 2 years. For those respon-
dents who say it's unlikely (57.8%), the reasons were many and varied:
space, cost, time, patient benefit and surgeon interest.
"Our main ophthalmologist … is an excellent surgeon and does not
need the laser to make the cuts," says one respondent.
"Our doctors are not convinced that the femtosecond laser leads to
a better outcome," says Jackie Dayton, RN, the supervisor of the
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