Earlier this week, ASCRS released the sixth annual ASCRS Clinical Survey. This year, more than 1000 members answered 150 questions about the latest trends in ophthalmic surgery.
What were some of the main takeaways?
Few doctors perform same-day bilateral cataract surgery.
Only 9% of respondents reported performing same-day bilateral cataract surgery often or sometimes. However, nearly 30% of respondents would be willing to make an exception given extenuating circumstances.
Multiple barriers prevent surgeons from using toric IOLs.
Even though 95% of respondents agree or strongly agree that patients with clinically significant astigmatism should be offered correction during cataract surgery, only 20% of these patients receive toric IOLs. This discrepancy is attributed to high cost for the patient, insufficient surgical training, and difficulty acquiring toric IOLs.
Cost is a major concern regarding laser-assisted cataract surgery.
Like last year, more than half of respondents cited economic feasibility as the main reason they’re staying away from femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS). Ironically, most surgeons who do offer FLACS believe the technology has a positive financial impact on their practice.
MIGS is rising in popularity – at least in the U.S.
Nearly half of all respondents perform some form of glaucoma surgery, with a significant percentage (49% of respondents) using microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). American respondents were almost twice as likely to report using this technology than non-American respondents.
Surgeons are interested in offering presbyopia-correcting IOLs.
When it comes to patients without astigmatism who desire spectacle independence and have no prior experience with monovision, more than two-thirds of respondents would prefer to use a presbyopia-correcting IOL. Unfortunately, respondents also reported that only 9% of their current cataract surgeries involve presbyopia-correcting IOLs, primarily due to concerns about patient cost and worries about quality of vision.
Are you interested in staying on the leading edge of ophthalmic surgery without breaking the bank? Sightpath Medical can help! We offer a wide range of premium IOLs, vendor-neutral instrumentation, and affordable access to femtosecond laser technology for both refractive and laser-assisted cataract surgery. We even offer Glaukos’ latest iStent inject to our cataract customers.