owned eye-only surgery center to convert). "If we could somehow
utilize the laser 2 days in a row, we'd make the per-click price even
more favorable," he says.
Dr. Starkey says outsourcing the laser has significantly boosted
his facility's bottom line, to the tune of nearly an additional $1,000
of revenue per eye after paying for the laser. "It's been a profitable
venture," he says. "In my opinion, outsourcing is a no-brainer."
Seamless service
Getting the platform into and out of facilities is a seamless
process. Dr. Koch gave his outsourcing crew — it's the same
group each time — a key to the building so they can let them-
selves in the night before scheduled cases, set up the laser and
calibrate its settings so it's ready to go first thing the next morn-
ing. "We have nothing to do but say hello to the rep," says Dr.
Koch. "It's completely seamless."
Dr. Koch was the first to use the technology, but his partners decid-
ed to jump on board, so they scheduled the laser for the day after Dr.
Koch's turn to get the most bang for their per-click-fee buck. The out-
sourcing firm brings the laser on 2 consecutive days, 3 times a month.
Case volume varies by surgeon, but Dr. Koch says he can easily com-
plete 5 to 6 patients an hour, or 20 to 30 cases a day.
The outsourcing firm that works with Dr. Koch demands a standard
fee based on how many procedures he performs. "They must be guar-
anteed a certain amount of money to show up in the morning and a
certain amount of money by the end of the day," he explains. "When
your case volume increases, you qualify for volume discounts."
So when would it be profitable to invest in your own laser platform?
How many cases would you need to perform? "We crossed that
threshold a long time ago," says Dr. Koch, who concedes his center
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