The bottom line appears to be the bottom line: We get the sense that
eye center administrators want to buy into the future of cataract sur-
gery, as long as the price is right. Deciding where to spend your facili-
ty's hard-earned money demands considering not only the technology
you'll add, but also the patients and surgeons who might go elsewhere
if you don't pull the trigger on new purchases. "Your cataract service
line must remain profitable and current," says Carol Cappella, RN, MSN,
CNOR, clinical director of the Delray Beach (Fla.) Surgery Center.
"You also have to look at what you can't afford to lose."
Lasers level off
Half of our survey's respondents currently offer femtosecond laser
cataract surgery at their facilities and 45% own their platforms outright.
A majority of respondents say the technology is used in fewer than half
of all cataract cases performed at their facilities. When we asked those
without lasers how likely they were to add the technology within the
next 2 years, 75% said they're "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to do so.
The physician-owners of the 3-OR Eye Surgery Center at the
Biltmore in Phoenix, Ariz., invested in a femtosecond platform in late
2012. About 45% of the center's 7,600 cataract patients choose to
undergo laser surgery. The center has increased profits by charging
patients for the use of the laser in pass-through fees that cover premi-
um IOLs and improved refractive outcomes, says administrator
Sharon Dillon, RN, CNOR, CASC, adding that aligning laser technolo-
gy with pre-op diagnostic platforms — which feed patient data direct-
ly to the laser unit — maps out a surgical plan designed to improve
the accuracy of lens implant placement and refractive outcomes, par-
ticularly in patients with astigmatism.
Ms. Dillon says the Eye Surgery Center made a substantial initial
investment in the platform and faces ongoing per-case click fees and
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