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THINKING OF BUYING …
physicians' preferences: The devices they've trained on and are used
to are influential factors indeed. Ease of attachment and portability is
another draw, particularly if a facility's physician-owners are performing retina cases at more than one location.
Another important consideration is whether the device is compatible with your manufacturer's microscope, and whether the scope is
ceiling- or floor-mounted. Because the devices attach to the bottom of
the scope, they tend to add a few inches of length to the equipment.
While a ceiling-mounted scope can be easily elevated, floor stands
may have height and balance limits, and the OR table can only lower
so far. Depending on your surgeons' heights, these mechanical
arrangements can also have an impact on ergonomic safety. I've heard
many eye surgeons blame aching backs on inconveniently articulated
equipment. Some manufacturers' wide-angle viewers feature integrated inverters that don't add much length to the unit. That's a step
toward perfecting the human-machine interface, so your surgeons can
operate comfortably. OSM
Mr. Stockdale (astockdale@usretina.com) is co-founder and president of the
practice management firm U.S. Retina in Pensacola, Fla.
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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 | D E C E M B E R 2013
