ICL & TICL counter LASIK slowdown

David Bailey, president of international operations at Staar Surgical, makers of the Visian ICL & TICL, says ICL technology allows surgeons to differentiate themselves in the slowing LASIK marketplace.

"Differentiation is critically important in a down market. LASIK is well down, the price is down. Doctors and practices are asking themselves how they can compete to get a bigger piece of a smaller pie. As a company, our goal is to provide doctors with the technology that allows them to differentiate themselves. "

Bailey says LASIK surgeons should be providing ICL and Toric ICL implantation as a complimentary procedure to LASIK. Mark Rosenberg, CEO of the Barnet Dulaney Perkins eye centre in Phoenix, Arizona, US, agrees that doctors need to think about refractive procedures, not LASIK versus ICL or TICL.

Rosenberg has seen strong growth in the lens-based sector. But, before this can be achieved, he says practices need to work to overcome the barriers to ICL uptake amongst patients. He says clinics must present ICLs at the beginning of the consultation process, rather than only where LASIK is not an option. They must also streamline scheduling for the convenience of the patient and talk about quality of vision rather than price.

Rosenberg says doctors need to shift the way they think, embracing the broader concept of vision correction rather than only LASIK. "The only question for surgeons is, are you going to be left off the train and wind up giving up on refractive surgery, or are you going to move on? "