Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/771120
every patient thinks laser cataract surgery is a good idea, or wants or needs a premium IOL. "You can't possibly convert 100% of your cataract patients to the laser. That never happens. The difficulty lies in estimating the number of patients who will go for it." It's a highly variable number, according to Mr. Corcoran, who says 10% to 25% of cataract patients typically opt for laser-assisted surgery. Mr. Corcoran says you have to make an honest assessment of your cataract business after considering the cost of the technology, the num- ber of patients who might opt for it and the potential revenue they'd bring in. Then you have to determine: Will enough current patients pay the extra out-of-pocket costs for the service and will it attract additional patients? "It becomes a competitive issue within communities," says Mr. Corcoran. "If every eye center decides to get a laser to keep up with the competition, there is no advantage in terms of attracting addition- al case volume." Surgeons, too, have to determine how much more their patients are willing to pay out of pocket for the technology. "They're already charg- ing a substantial amount for implanting a premium IOL, and now they intend to increase that amount," he says. "It becomes a question of how much the market will bear." High-volume investment To buy outright or to outsource? JoAnn Vecchio, CCS, CPC-H, CMBS, administrator of the ASC of Western New York in Amherst, N.Y., researched laser platforms for 3 years to determine which offered the best fit at the best price for her multispecialty facility, where oph- thalmic cases make up around half of the case volume. Ms. Vecchio completed pro formas to assess if outsourcing a laser platform or buying one outright made the most sense. "There are 7 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7