Teleconsultations after refractive surgery beneficial for physicians, patients
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CHICAGO — Remote teleconsultation is an effective way to monitor patients after laser vision correction, according to a presenter.
Pravin Krishna Vaddavalli, MD, said teleconsultations following uncomplicated refractive surgery can reduce at least one of three standard physical visits —1 day, 1 week and 1 month — in the early postoperative period. Not only was this instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize crowding in hospitals, but it also increased cost-efficiency.
“By moving some postop visits online, we create more space for new patients in clinic and maximize time spent by the ophthalmologists,” Vaddavalli said in a poster presentation at Refractive Surgery Subspeciality Day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. Associate members of care teams can engage with patients virtually by taking photos and doing an appropriate workup, he said, so ophthalmologists are needed just for the consultation.
Vaddavalli’s team at LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India, conducted a research study to assess visual and refractive outcomes among patients who had at least one teleconsultation after surgery compared with those whose follow-up visits were all in person. Patients who underwent PRK generally had their 1-day visit online, whereas patients who underwent LASIK or SMILE had their teleconsultation visit at 1 week postop.
Both groups had comparable best corrected visual acuity and no sight-threatening complications.
Video assessments may be inaccurate in an uncontrolled environment, Vaddavalli said, but this research suggests that the reduction of one physical visit in the immediate postoperative period has no adverse effects on outcomes and management.
“Integrating teleconsultations into routine refractive practice is time- and cost-efficient for physicians and reduces the burden of travel to the hospital for patients,” Vaddavalli said.
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Singh VM, et al. Impact of teleconsultation on visual and refractive outcomes in patients undergoing laser refractive surgery during COVID-19. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2022; Chicago.
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