Laser Cataract Surgery On the Go

Eye facilities interested in adding laser cataract surgery without incurring the technology's prohibitive start-up costs have a new option, thanks to Sightpath Medical's new fleet of mobile femtosecond units.

The MoFe service suite, which includes a femtosecond laser, an intra-operative wavefront aberrometer and a certified laser engineer, travels to facilities willing to pay the company's daily "stop" fee and per-patient charges.

Sightpath Medical is planning a nationwide rollout of the mobile lasers throughout 2013, beginning in the Midwest and taking them to where demand warrants, according to Joel Gaslin, Sightpath Medical's vice president of sales.

Surgeon training will be completed in cooperation with the laser's manufacturer (LenSx) while Sightpath Medical's engineer will help ensure the equipment runs smoothly, says Mr. Gaslin.

As laser cataract surgery has emerged in recent years, some surgeons have been enticed by the bladeless option's promise of greater precision and improved vision outcomes. Others, however, are hesitant to buy into the hype because of the technology's significant capital expense and the proven success of less costly, manual techniques. Sightpath Medical's service aims to let hesitant surgeons take lasers for a spin and offer the technology to their patients without breaking the bank.

Daniel Cook