EyeWorld Asia-Pacific June 2021 Issue

Aside from that, Dr. Pesz- tenlehrer has adopted 3D visualisation with NGENUITY ® for cataract surgeries as the new normal in teaching hos- pitals. Within this discussion, surgeons shared the bene- fit of NGENUITY ® in terms of quality of image, depth perception, ease of use, and, more importantly from a teaching perspective, how residents, fellows, and train- ees can have the full experi- ence of conducting surgery whilst maintaining distance in the OR. What is the best way to ensure quality when sur- geons work towards main- taining patient throughput in the new normal? • Paying attention to bi- ometry and final refraction results is key. • In large volume practice, standardizing equipment, adopting new technologies to create a system-depen- dent process, and equipping surgeons or trainees through Alcon's phaco development program are helpful and im- portant. • At smaller private or bou- tique practices, creating a very personalized and en- gaging patient experience can result in not only good clinical outcomes but happy patients. What about single-use device? Single-use devices in the OR have become more commonplace during the pandemic as infection risk and transmission is a big concern. • It allows for minimization of contact • Cleansing chemicals for surgical tools may actual- ly not be environmentally friendly. • Potential errors in the workflow of sterilization may present another challenge to reducing transmission and infection rates. Though sustainability is a key consideration for many hospitals and surgeons, single-use is crucial during COVID-19 and there are opportunities for creative solutions such as recollect- ing single-use tools, recy- cling these disposables, and in turn reducing the cost of these devices. How do we optimize efficiency and the surgeon-patient experience from clinic to OR in the new normal? Dr. Mun Wai Lee from Malay- sia emphasised the impor- tance of: • Patient consultation: ef- ficiently gathering the pa- tient’s history, conducting a precise examination, and providing concise counseling for the patient. • Minimizing time in the OR: no toric markings are required (VERION™ is used), compl ications are rare (CENTURION ® Vision Sys- tem with ACTIVE SENTRY ® is used), and the AutonoMe™ comes preloaded with the Clareon ® IOL to reduce sur- gical time. Dr. Andrew Chang from Australia provided his thoughts on navigating the COVID-19 crisis, stating that a multidisciplinary approach to managing glaucoma played a significant role during the pandemic. With 1,225 glaucoma patients booked for face-to-face consultations, Dr. Chang suggested that modifica- tion of processes and care models to facilitate earlier patient intervention is key. The benefits are accelerated accessibility to services for patients with acute and/or progressive disease and ear- lier identification of progres- sive ocular disease. Dr. Boris Malyugin from Russia was ALCONversa- tion’s second international guest, speaking on a great example of international collaboration and network- ing on virtual platform, the EuroCovCat experience. The European COVID-19 Cat- aract Group (#EUROCOV- CAT) is a group of ophthal- mic surgeons and experts, currently from 12 countries sharing different experienc- es and perspectives on the current pandemic situation. In previous publications, EuroCovCat provided rec- ommendations for prac- tice during the pandemic including reducing human contact to a minimum, pro- viding specific spaces for COVID-19 positive patients, new waiting room configura- tions and methods, regular disinfection of the facility, mask distribution, air system evaluation, and clear com- munication of all procedures and protocols. ALCONversation wrapped up with in- sights from the KOLs on the good out- comes that have come out of the COVID-19 crisis. • Practitioners reap- praise the way they manage patients and make changes earlier than they would have otherwise. • Advances in technol- ogies have provided practitioners with virtu- al clinics, AI, and even the ability to control slit lamps remotely. • Opportunity to intro- duce new technologies into practice as well as ask for support from various government entities. • New normal of safe- ty measures and risk mitigation strategies that healthcare prac- titioners around the world have created can now be a standard for our future. Finally, KOLs have felt an increasing sense of respect and gratitude for their profession while realizing that the profession of ophthal- mology is irreplace- able. This realization is most evident when seeing the impact of surgeries being stopped. “ Only when you’ve lost it, you realize what you’re giving back to society, ” Dr. Ronald Yeoh. Copyright 2021 APACRS. All rights reserved. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial board, or publisher, and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld, Asia-Pacific or APACRS. © Alcon 2021 ASIA-CAT-2100001 Exp Date 30 June 2022 Clinics can be run safely during the new normal of COVID-19 without compromising efficiency and good clinical outcomes. Changed the way we see our patients. Reduce interactions BUT deliver good outcomes. Changed the way we run our OR. Increase safety protocols BUT maintain efficiency. Changed the way we run our clinic. Increase safety protocols BUT maintain throughput. Image source: CDC.gov *ARGOS® only registered in select Asia-Pacific countries.