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O P H T H A L M O L O G Y
the laser procedure is offered to every
cataract patient, not all of them will choose to
undergo it.
High-volume, eye-only practices seem to be
the most likely candidates to make the scheduling quota. At Dr. Rivera's Hoopes Vision, 50
to 60 patients a month (about 60% to 70% of
incoming patients) are choosing lasers. "With
more public awareness, we expect that number to rise," he says. At Vance Thompson
Vision, Dr. Berdahl says, "We thought we had
to do about 400 cases a year to break even."
After performing 1,000 cases in the first year,
however, they realized that less than 400
cases would have sufficed for a solvent service line.
One ophthalmic services company's website
calculates that a $425,000 laser (with associated costs) that costs a facility $17,100 per
month and generates a profit of about $800
per case will require 21 cases a month before
reaching the break-even point. If such a purchase price is too steep for your current budget, perhaps contracting with a specialized
F E B R U A R Y 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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