Purchasing medical equipment is a big decision with a large amount of weight for admin staff. Cost, long-term reliability, and ROI are just a few initial details to be considered. However, we believe there are more corners in the room that need to be scanned before making your final decision.
If you are in the market for a phaco machine for your hospital or ASC, there are:
6 things we think you should consider before buying or upgrading phaco machines and microscopes.
1) Do you have the capital?
One of the biggest factors in purchasing equipment is price and whether that purchase will bring a healthy ROI to your facility. The main questions when it comes to cataract surgery is (a) will you have enough volume to make the capital investment worth it, and (b) is there another specialty field that could benefit more from your capital dollars and provide a higher ROI for you facility? Surgical Direct provides the solution that allows you to maximize your capital funds and still acquire the use of today’s latest phaco technology in your OR, immediately. Along with obtaining the equipment you need, we provide more than enough phaco trays for today’s stringent sterilization regulations.
2) Repair & Maintenance Costs.
Not only do you need to delegate funds for purchasing the equipment (and all accessories and supplies that come with your phaco), but it’s equally important to allocate funds for ongoing maintenance & repair costs. Manufacturer preventative maintenance is absolutely essential to keep your equipment running safely and correctly for surgery. This is an added expense that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the machine, and that doesn’t even touch the scenario where you need an additional repair or part. At Surgical Direct, all of our machines are enrolled in the same PM schedule with the manufacturer that your machine would be, providing the same level of upkeep and care to your facility without the ongoing (and unexpected) bills.
3) Disposable Supply, Lenses & Inventory Upkeep.
Of course, every phaco machine comes with specific accessories and supplies that only work with that specific machine. Are you and your staff in a position to manage these aspects efficiently? Surgical Direct’s Mobile Cataract Service provides everything needed. Handpieces, tips, sleeves, tubing packs, and bss are machine-specific and must be on hand for surgery. We take care of all the disposable case supplies specific to each surgeon’s preference, including standard & premium lenses for every surgery.
4) Brand & Surgeon Loyalty.
Since purchasing is a big ROI decision, you want to be sure of two things before pulling the trigger with confidence. 1) Is this machine (and it’s brand) a good fit for the surgeon (or all of the surgeons that might be using it) long-term? Short term thinking does not produce good ROI results. Will the surgeon be happy with this machine long-term? 2) Are you certain the surgeon will be operating in your facility long-term? There is no obvious answer to these questions because there is no guarantee of the future. Surgical Direct gives you the flexibility to use a machine as long as you like with no buy-in or tie-down. Switching brands or upgrading to the latest model is EASY!
5) Staff Training & Troubleshooting.
New equipment means new things to learn. Does your team have the capacity to learn all the ins-and-outs of the new technology? Knowing what to look for, troubleshooting inconsistencies and errors, and acting quickly can be the difference between a smooth day and day full of cancellations. Surgical Direct provides highly-trained and helpful technicians each surgery day to your OR that uses our service. Our techs are specifically trained on the equipment to know how to circumnavigate issues to keep the machines working all day. Plus, if the issue is too technical, we bring backup machines!
6) Cataract Technology Advances Quickly.
No matter how certain about all of the other 5 topics we discussed, there is still the fact that Ophthalmic Surgical Technology is one of the fastest evolving/changing specialties in the medical field. New tech is introduced almost annually and can be difficult to stay on top of, not only financially, but practically.
We bring all of this up to let you know that if you are considering purchasing a phaco machine, you have options! Exploring a Cataract Outsourcing partnership with Surgical Direct could be the solution that saves your facility tens of thousands in capital, provides the latest technology, award-winning support, and consistent reliable ROI that you can track.
Our solution is mobile, turn-key, and simple. We would love to speak with you about how together we can make a smoother, more efficient cataract program.
