Lindstrom award lecturer: Cataract surgery about to enter second ‘golden age’
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WAILEA, Hawaii — Cataract and anterior segment services are on the cusp of entering a new “golden age,” according to a speaker here at Hawaiian Eye/Retina 2024.
In his Lindstrom Leadership Award Lecture, J. Andy Corley said, “Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, lifelong learners, we are getting into the second golden age of cataract and anterior segment services,” due to changing demographics and other contributing factors.
“With demand increasing 25%, what's going to happen to supply?” said Corley, who was introduced by Vance Thompson, MD, as the father of the premium channel for cataract surgery. “About 485 ophthalmologists graduate every year, while 515 retire. The net number of ophthalmologists is declining. Younger ophthalmologists, brilliantly, place tremendous emphasis on quality of life, which may equate to fewer hours.”
The declining population of ophthalmologists and a projected increase in demand for annual eye exams by 2030 mean that the industry is approaching a time period of overall “great demand” for ophthalmic services, Corley said.
Headwinds facing cataract surgeons include cuts in reimbursement that “never stop coming,” the consistent increase in cost for skilled labor and high-tech equipment over time.
Despite those headwinds facing in the ophthalmic industry, Corley framed the positive future outlook around what American economist and statistician Milton Friedman would think about the current market if he were alive and an ophthalmologist:
“If Milton were here, I think he would say, 'Hire more than you want to, pay more than you want to, train more than you want to and prosper more than you could have ever imagined,'" he said. “Take the time to be grateful that we landed in this wonderful field of ophthalmology.”
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Corley JA. Lindstrom leadership award and lecture: If Milton Friedman was an ophthalmologist. Presented at: Hawaiian Eye 2024; Jan. 13-19, 2024; Wailea, Hawaii.
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