Chances are that if you are reading this post, you know that cataract surgery is a delicate and complicated procedure. Despite the surgery’s high success rate and seemingly “routine feel” in comparison to other medical specialties, cataract surgery has very fine margins that if off by just millimeters could cause negative post-surgical outcomes. Surgical Direct provides the latest technology available on the market. This, in effect, provides the surgeon with safer parameters than older machines can provide. New phaco technology continues to improve and provide the surgeon with a safer environment in which to work. New microscopes provide better and better optics and light illumination for the surgeon to see during the operation. Equipment, instrumentation, lenses, and supplies all play vital roles in assisting the surgeon to achieve the best possible outcome for their patients (all of which, we provide). On top of all of those details, we believe that the people in the room are equally important and play a major role in the success of the surgery.
The Surgical Direct Cataract Coordinator – Your “Cataract Concierge”
A vital part of our Mobile Cataract Service model is our surgical coordinators. Our coordinators are highly-trained, hands-on, friendly, always on time, and valuable members of the “eye team”.
1) Equipment Knowledge
Surgical coordinators at Surgical Direct go through 3 months of intense training before flying solo. This gives them a solid base of knowledge to support your team in any scenario. The 3 months covers all the aspects of what it means to be a Surgical Direct representative, including knowledge of the surgical procedure, surgical steps/technique, the anatomy of the eye, and how the equipment works. Our coordinators are trained to operate, maintain, program settings, and troubleshoot the equipment if problems arise onsite. This brings another layer of assurance to the OR and your team on eye day.
2) Instrumentation & Supply Knowledge
In addition to equipment, our coordinators are trained in instrumentation and supplies related to cataract surgery. This gives the coordinator an edge in assisting the surgeon and staff when special instrumentation is requested, lens replacements are needed, etc. Our senior coordinators sometimes blow some of our surgeons away with the knowledge they’ve acquired. We believe that information and knowledge play a big part in keeping consistency in the OR.
3) Awareness, Awareness, Awareness!
Awareness is an important aspect of pre-emptive action. We believe that our coordinators are the best in the field, and their attention to detail and awareness of what is going on in the room is one of the reasons why. For example, especially in a scenario where our coordinators are familiar with the surgeon and her/his process, they quickly become familiar with what is normal and what is not. They know what stage of the surgery the surgeon is in at all times, based on time, instrument requests, and tone. This attention and awareness gives the coordinator the pre-emptive ability to know when something may be out of the ordinary, and what instrumentation to have on hand just in case. Our surgeons are often amazed by the level of preparedness that we carry, and are very grateful for it. Consistency supports better outcomes.
4) Service Team Mindset
There is nothing that our coordinators are too “big” for. Our goal is to be part of the team and provide support as much as possible. We help open sterile supplies (and are trained annually in technique and best practices). We wipe down tables and assist with turnover. We take out the trash. We unlock and re-lock microscope arms, hold chairs for the surgeon as they sit down, adjust oculars, run to the clean-core to look for a peel-packed instrument, flush hand-pieces….the list goes on. This is where we get the idea of being a concierge. We are here to serve and provide you with the industry’s best mobile cataract service support. Period.
Want to know more about Surgical Direct and our services? The best way to learn about us is to sign up for our Free Demo Day and try us out for yourself. This will give you the full effect of what we carry as a service, and how we can help streamline your cataract program.
Questions? Give us a call anytime! We are here to answer your questions.
For more information, browse our services page for all the details.
