Consider ‘soft’ costs when calculating re-treatments, surgeon says

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The cost of the laser card should not be the surgeon’s only financial consideration when offering LASIK re-treatment services, according to Randall Fuerst, OD. Beyond what the laser manufacturer will charge the practice, the disposable items, staff time and physician time all play a role in the true cost of re-treatment, he told attendees here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

“Your chair time is a soft but very real cost,” he said. To calculate true chair time costs, he said, divide the practice’s overhead costs by the number of doctor days. If a practice with two surgeons has overhead costs of $100,000, and appointment slots are in 10-minute increments, the “true” cost per re-treatment visit equals $312, he said.

“With wavefront, the bar has now been lifted in terms of patient expectations,” Dr. Fuerst added. “I doubt we’ll ever get below a 5% to 8% re-treatment rate.”

Surgeons should also consider patient satisfaction when determining re-treatment rates and costs.

“You want to salvage your relationship with your patient. The majority of business is from word of mouth, according to an Alcon survey,” he said. “These are all subjective elements that are coming into play.”

In short, he said, “re-treatments can run anywhere from $400 to $500 per patient. It’s not just the cost of the card.”