Baltimore area to purchase a femtosecond laser and only the 42
nd
in the country to obtain the brand I chose. Of this, however, I was
sure: After seeing the accuracy and precision of the laser, integrat-
ed with imaging and, in my opinion, the new level of safety, I
needed to make the option available to my patients.
Doing my usual spreadsheet analysis for adopting new technolo-
gy, I determined I would need to perform 14 cases a month with the
laser to cover my expenses for the next 5 years, and patients would
need to spend more than $1,000 per eye out of pocket in addition to
their insurance copays and deductibles. I filled in the rest of what
would become my femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery busi-
ness strategy based on the issues and challenges I was able to antic-
ipate. Happily, the principles I initially set forth have worked very
well. Two years after I purchased the laser, 68% of my eligible
patients were choosing laser cataracts, and I purchased a second
laser, this time with a partner in my surgical center. So today, both
ASCs I'm affiliated with, one as the majority partner and one as a
minority partner, own a femtosecond laser. A few secrets of my suc-
cess:
1
Believe in the technology wholeheartedly. Without my core
belief that laser cataracts is a better procedure for patients and
a more predictable procedure for me, I wouldn't have been able to
convey my enthusiasm to my staff members and referring doctors. I
J U N E 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 5
"To maximize the benefits of laser
cataracts, I've changed the non-
laser parts of my surgery to reflect
what the laser accomplishes."
