"Look for savings else-
where," says Jeannine
Arcuri, BSN, administrator
of the Cleveland Eye and
Laser Surgery Center in
Fairview Park, Ohio. "Don't
skimp on giving surgeons
the tools they want to meet
the clinical needs of patients
without jeopardizing the
standard of care."
The access they need
Surgeons can administer the
intracameral medications
shugarcaine or phenyle-
phrine to keep pupils dilated
during surgery. Shugarcaine
is a lidocaine-epinephrine
compound; injecting lido-
caine into the eye paralyzes
the pupil's sphincter muscle, causing the pupil to open wide.
If these agents prove ineffective, surgeons can reach for pupil expan-
sion rings or pupil dilators to give them the access they need. There are
several options available, ranging in price from $80 to $150. A reusable
ring is available for approximately $400, which is an investment that
might make good financial sense with the increasing numbers of com-
plex cases your surgeons will perform in the coming years.
Pupil expansion solutions add what might seem like a significant
expense to the cost of a cataract case, but don't discount the clinical
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 0 3
• HANDS IN Surgeons earn more for complex cataract cases, but should
be aware of how much facilities spend on the devices they use.
