EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/78721
January 2012 EW NEWS & OPINION 21 the-line machines is important be- cause there are a lot of worthwhile things the best MRI models can do. But if there ever emerges a way to utilize MRI technology through a platform where a machine costs $200,000 instead of $2 million, that would change the world. It's disrup- tive. So the product technology comes from leaders like General Electric. But the disruptive business model that can deploy it is not what you get from the existing leaders. The reality is if you make technol- ogy so affordable and simple that a larger population of caregivers is able to provide care, then that tech- nology makes it standardized. Because of Dr. Christensen's work, many leading companies now try to anticipate how their business or industry could be "disrupted" in the future. In this context, Dr. Christensen and I also discussed the femtosecond laser for cataract surgery. At first glance, this would appear to be a classic "sustaining" innovation—a more advanced tech- nology that companies (and sur- geons) sell to their highest end customers but that is not affordable Phacoemulsification continued from page 19 of very deep incisions. They there- fore carry a high likelihood of hav- ing had a microperforation or frank perforation during the RK procedure with resultant anterior chamber shallowing and zonular stress. In this setting the adjunctive use of a capsular tension ring to stabilize the capsule during phacoemulsification helps to reduce the risk of rupture and dialysis. With careful pre-op planning for IOL calculation, incision placement, and technique, surgeons and their post-RK patients can enjoy excellent results. EW Editors' note: Dr. Packer has financial interests with Bausch + Lomb (Rochester, N.Y.). Contact information Packer: mpacker@finemd.com Whether you're just beginning or experienced in cataract and refractive surgery, ASCRS is the professional society that's right for every stage of your career. Established Anterior Segment Ophthalmologists Mid-career is perhaps the most challenging period for today's ophthalmologist. The clinical and technological changes have never come faster and the regulatory concerns have never been greater. ASCRS' Annual Sympo- sium and Winter Update offer the education and networking needed to help your practice excel, and our ASCRS MediaCenter provides targeted online content addressing the issues most pressing to you. ASCRS' monthly Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reports on all aspects of anterior segment surgery, and our meetings are focused, well-organized, and highly interactive. eyeCONNECT, ASCRS' online clinical service, lets you share questions and answers with like-minded peers in a private and supportive environment. ASCRS' commitment to fostering excellence through collaborative exchange is unmatched by any other ophthalmic organization. Join ASCRS today! The Society for Surgeons AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 4000 Legato Road, Suite 700, Fairfax, VA 22033 • 703-591-2220 • www.ASCRS.org for everyone. However, there is the danger that it could become a "dis- ruptive" innovation if it somehow enabled non-cataract surgeons or providers with lesser training to do the surgery in a way that would lower the overall cost of treatment. Besides the technology, obvious changes in the healthcare model would also be required—which organized optometry is already pursuing. EW An ASCRS Membership For every stage of your career