Eyeworld

EW MEETING REPORTER 88 September 2011 clean up complications that way? Dr. Lane cautioned practitioners against being immediate naysay- ers. "I think this is a technology that in 10-15 years, everyone is going to be using," he said. "Technology is going to march ahead whether we want it to or not. All surgeons are going to jump in when they feel pre- pared to do it or when they have the pressures that surround them." John D. Banja, Ph.D., a medical ethicist in Atlanta, Ga., discussed pa- tient counseling considerations and extolled the virtues of a good in- formed consent because then the pa- tient is the one who takes on the risks. Practice flow logistics Adopting a femtosecond cataract machine will involve a change in patient flow and practice logistics, according to several early adopters of the technology, including two surgeons who use the technology outside of the United States. Harvey Uy, M.D., Makati, Philippines, spoke about how the addition of femto cataract surgery has changed his clinic flow. The surgeon explains the procedure, risks, and benefits, while the scheduler discusses the schedule with the patient, he said. To facili- tate workflow, "We schedule the more predictable surgeries toward the beginning of the day and the complex cases come at the end of the day." Dr. Uy's surgical flow in- volves using two rooms—one for the femto laser and one for phacoemul- sification. The rooms are located di- rectly across from each other. "It is easy for one room to communicate with the other," Dr. Uy said, adding that surgeons should think carefully about optimizing efficiency when laying out their new femto work- space. Kasu Prasad Reddy, M.D., Hyderabad, India, said his clinic is set up currently so that one surgeon performs the femto procedure and another performs phaco. Dr. Lane's current set-up includes four pre-op bays that feed into one OR led by one surgeon. His laser will be placed outside the OR but inside the ASC firewall. "The patient will be on a mobile chair/bed and will move from the laser bay to the pre-op bay or the OR," he said. Dr. Lindstrom wrapped up the session by encourag- ing physicians to enlist regulatory and legal consultants to assist them in navigating the decisions involved in where to place the laser. Who's operating the laser? Implications In the fourth and final session of the day, panelists and attendees debated potential scenarios for the operation of the femtosecond laser, covering all of the angles: ophthalmologists, technicians, optometrists, and physician's assistants. The panelists led a conversation about the differ- ent scenarios that might be raised when it comes to who would be op- erating the laser in the future. Mr. Corcoran and Ms. McCann said there isn't licensure in any state that would allow a technician to perform the procedure. Optometrists cur- Reporting live from the ASCRS/ EyeWorld Town Hall Meeting on Laser- Assisted Cataract Surgery, Chicago, July 14-17, 2011 OCULUS Pentacam ® The indispensable tool for the anterior segment analysis the anterior segment analysis • 3D Cataract Analysis • Holladay Report for post-refractive IOL calculations • Anterior & posterior topography & elevation maps • Support for decision making regarding premium IOL, toric IOL and aspheric IOL for corneal wavefront correction • Belin/Ambrosio Display for early Keratoconus detection • LASIK Screening Available in three affordable models. Toll free 1-888-519-5375 www.oculususa.com sales@oculususa.com www.pentacam.com Please visit us at the AAO in Orlando, Florida – Booth No. 2543 continued on page 90

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