Eyeworld

Sponsored by Dr. Parkhurst, MD IS FEMTO REALLY BETTER? SPONSORED CONTENT See why the LENSAR ® Laser System is the obvious choice for this surgeon "The LENSAR System is my go-to for all my RLEs and my femto cataract cases. The biggest reason is the astigmatism piece and advanced technology employed by the LENSAR Laser." © 2019 LENSAR, Inc. All rights reserved. LENSAR, the LENSAR logo, Streamline, and IntelliAxis Refractive Capsulorhexis are registered trademarks of LENSAR, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 50-00250-000 (A) 09/19 This insert was independently produced by LENSAR. EyeWorld had no part in its production. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial board, or the publisher, and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld. Refractive Surgery Specialist Dr. Gregory Parkhurst of Parkhurst Nuvision grew up with astigmatism and poor vision. As a result, he can fully relate to his patients' frustrations and dependance on glasses and contacts. It's just one of the reasons he went into ophthalmology. "I love what I do because experiencing life with better vision allows people to connect with one another and enjoy the world around us," says Parkhurst. As an experienced refractive surgeon who has performed over 14,000 procedures around the world, Dr. Parkhurst is a strong believer in the benefits that femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) can offer cataract patients. In a recent interview, he shares some of his insights about the reasons patients choose FLACS and how the implementation of the LENSAR Laser has helped streamline his time, practice, and workflow. Q: Why are more patients choosing FLACS over manual cataract surgery? A: Lots of my patients elect to have laser- assisted cataract surgery for different reasons. For some patients it's all about safety; they know that when I'm using a laser, I can achieve more precision than I am able to by hand. For patients with astigmatism, choosing the laser means getting out of glasses. When we tell them we are going to treat their cataracts with a laser and will be able to fix their astigmatism at the same time, it resonates with patients. It's less about the toric IOL, and more about using the accuracy and precision of using a laser to place the toric IOL and provide optimal outcomes. Q: What makes you a believer in the LENSAR Laser System? A: The LENSAR Laser is my go-to system for all my RLEs and my femto cataracts. The biggest reason is probably the astigmatism features on the system. I love that with LENSAR, I'm able to wirelessly upload all of my data from my office diagnostic testing directly to the laser system. In our practice, we use Pentacam ® , and I've got the steep axis of the corneal cylinder with iris registration captured in that data. That information goes straight to the LENSAR System and I am then able to simply dock the patient instead of spending time doing markings in the pre-op area. It also means I'm getting precision of the axis of my toric placement or my arcuate incision, so my outcomes are the best thanks to iris registration and compensation for cyclotorsion. Q: How does LENSAR give you an edge when managing astigmatism? There's a huge efficiency piece to using the LENSAR Laser. I no longer have to do manual marking in the pre-op area because of the wireless preop and iris registration data upload feature. Plus, when I do my wavefront aberrometry intraoperatively, I'm only scanning for power and magnitude. I don't have to adjust my toric position, which makes us more efficient in the operating room. It's a quick experience for my patients, a quick procedure for my team, and the outcomes are precise. Q: How have you increased premium conversions since implementing the LENSAR Laser? A: As a refractive surgeon, I really believe that every patient undergoing cataract surgery should have refractive cataract surgery and the LENSAR Laser is what helps get patients into that channel—it's less about the IOL. We do a lot of premium IOLs and presbyopia-correcting IOLs, but the use of the laser and its ability to offer more accurate results is really what appeals to patients. "With LENSAR, it's a quick experience for my patients, a quick procedure for my team, and the results are more precise." Q: What would you say to surgeons who are still skeptical of the femtosecond cataract laser investment? A: The femtosecond laser is far more accurate than a human hand. I mean, is that even a debate? It's quicker, more precise, and adds an element of safety that you just can't get with traditional phaco surgery. Plus, it delivers significantly faster visual recoveries to patients. When I hear about the skepticism of other surgeons, I think it's because they've been a bit jaded about FLACS rumors floating about and maybe naïve about what LENSAR's laser system can offer. I saw this in my fellow who started with me a few months ago. He has now completed over 200 LENSAR procedures, and went from being femto-neutral to a femto-fan. That's why I think any surgeon skeptical of femto may not have had the opportunity to use it much, or if they have, they definitely haven't tried LENSAR, because this system is on a whole other level. If you come watch ten LENSAR femto laser procedures, then complete ten manual procedures on your own, the answer to "Is LENSAR worth the investment?" is super obvious.

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)