Staff education can help incorporate SMILE into a practice
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Key takeaways:
- Staff education can help incorporate SMILE into a practice.
- Online and in-office marketing of the procedure can make a practice stand out among competitors.
SAN DIEGO — Educating staff can be important for incorporating small incision lenticule extraction into a practice, according to a speaker here.
“Your staff has to be involved and proactive about the procedure,” Kathryn M. Hatch, MD, said during Refractive Day at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting. “Make it positive. This is an additive procedure.”
Image: Adobe Stock
For surgeon training, SMILE wet labs can be useful, she said. Adoption of SMILE is quickly growing around the world, with more than 2,500 surgeons performing the procedure in more than 80 countries, with more than 7 million eyes treated with SMILE to date.
“It’s really the first innovative procedure since LASIK in the ’90s,” she said. “I really believe this procedure is here to stay. Patients really like hearing about small-incision surgery.”
The potential risks involved with SMILE, she said, include challenges with enhancements, ectasia and dry eye disease. Marketing the procedure both online and in-office can help physicians naturally build their refractive practice, as well as help a practice stand out among competitors.
“SMILE is effective, it’s precise, and it’s an alternative that is going to grow your practice and is definitely worth considering,” Hatch said.
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Hatch KM. Incorporating small lenticular lenticule extraction (SMILE) into your practice. Presented at: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting; May 5-8, 2023; San Diego.
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