Opinion

I continue to be amazed at surgeons still offering patients only basic outcomes in their cataract surgery. I have been surgical counselor for Satish Modi, MD, FRCS(C), CPI for over twenty-five years. Dr. Modi and I offer all appropriate choices to all of our patients every time. I am a licensed optician and treat surgical counseling as if it were a permanent pair of eyewear- because it is! The Baby Boomers are the group currently undergoing cataract surgery. This forever-young group- which I am a part of, wants more than their cloudy lens removed. The Baby Boomers are likely to live for quite some time after the surgery they are having in their 60’s and 70’s. The choices they make regarding their surgical outcome should not be taken lightly. In my practices we consider all options possible for each patient. The decision-making tree for refractive outcomes in cataract surgery adds time but adds greater breadth of choices for surgical outcomes. Not only can this bring greater patient satisfaction but can also yield great profits for your practices helping the bottom line. In this time period physicians should discuss all potential outcomes with their patients. Patients often do not fully understand that good distance vision means all close activities are blurred or that they will lose the close vision the currently enjoy. Side effects of multifocal implants must be clearly discussed but offered when appropriate. It is the patient’s choice.

Surgeons must recognize patients must make decisions that may involve financials. It is not fair to the patient to avoid the discussion because the surgeon does not want to discuss self-pay items. There are a few ways to handle this. The most effective- hire an optician- someone who already has a solid understanding of refractive error. The optician is already comfortable charging money for a better visual outcome. The optician can work closely with the doctor understanding what patients are suitable for any given plan per the surgeon. Tackling cataract surgery from this refractive perspective is interesting for the doctor but also opens many unexpected options for the patients. Giving patients this more sophisticated result means a happier patient who is telling the world about your practice. It is more work and it does demand that you provide the more superior result of refractive cataract surgery but everyone benefits!