tion to remove non-
cancerous conjunctiva
growths from the eye
takes less than an
hour to perform. The
biggest barrier for
making pterygium sur-
gery work in office
settings is pain con-
trol, which is easier to
control in an OR.
"If IV anesthesia or a
retrobulbar block
were needed, you obviously couldn't be in a procedure room," says
Dr. VanDenBrook.
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is often done in con-
junction with cataract surgery, but not always. One MIGS procedure,
micropulse diode laser treatments, could potentially grow into a com-
mon office-based procedure, according to Dr. VanDenBrook. The
operation involves delivering a micro pulse of energy to the ciliary
body to decrease aqueous production.
"That would be a pretty easy transition because you're technically
not going into the eye," she says. "It would be a good fit for a potential
migration to a procedure room."
OSM
A P R I L 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 7 3
• OFFICE SPACE Cataract surgery and some minimally invasive glaucoma treat-
ments can be performed safely in procedure rooms.