Explore Your Formula Options with ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner

High-volume cataract surgery centers thrive on routine. We set up automated systems to capture baseline patient information, think about the pathways patients use to move through our physical space, and stick to checklists established for surgery. We even have an order of operations for conversations with patients about IOL selections. Within this structure, we thrive.

Like many of my cataract surgeon colleagues, I am reluctant to change protocols for good reason: any disruption to the system presents the potential for inefficiency and suboptimal outcomes to creep into my clinic. But when I integrated ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner into my surgical practice, I found that I not only improved my offering to patients and enhanced my clinical efficiency, but that I also spruced up elements of my routine that had become stale.

Specifically, ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner empowered me to reevaluate my preference for specific formulas by placing multiple formulas (and the expected refractive outcomes linked to those formulas) at my fingertips. If you think your patient consultations benefit from expanded formula offerings, consider integrating ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner into your protocol.

As I set up protocols in my clinic, I grew comfortable using a specific formula as part of my clinical routine. I was attracted to the body of literature supporting that formula and found that it integrated particularly well with my surgical approach. My technicians grew used to using my preferred formula, and most surgical consultations were geared toward it. Taking the time to plug data into various formula calculators that were housed in different locations was too time consuming, to say nothing of then collating those formulas’ outputs and comparing them. And thus, I formed an efficient zone of comfort regarding formula selection.

When I integrated ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner into my clinic, all data from presurgical workups were connected to a central hub and automatically input to the various formulas programmed in ZEISS VERACITY including, but not limited to, the Barrett suite, Kane suite, and even a ZEISS AI IOL Calculator formula. This opened up a new opportunity for me to investigate the utility of different formulas with a mere click of a button.

During patient consultations, I toggle between several formulas and examine expected patient outcomes. If I see that outcomes from several formulas align, then I know I can go with the formula with which I am most comfortable. If a difference in outcomes can be observed among the formulas, then I choose the formula most conducive to the outcome that best suits the patient.

To me, this spectrum of formula offerings was a revelation. I embraced the powerful outcomes of formulas I hadn’t previously leveraged while also continuing to work with my preferred formulas. No longer limited by the inconvenience of calculating specific formulas in various places, I was free to benefit from the best each formula had to offer.

The ability to instantly toggle between formulas is particularly useful when preparing for a surgery using a next-generation multifocal IOL. Given that the complex optics of these cutting-edge technologies are so precise, we surgeons must be accurate in our formula selection, and expanding the menu of formulas at our disposal is the best way to ensure that refractive targets are hit.

We owe it to our patients to balance efficiency with thoughtful deliberation. ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner allows us to do both: we can quickly move through various IOL formulas and predicted outcomes to find the best lens for our patients, plan their surgery, and get them to their vision goals.

If you’re looking to expand your formula offerings to better hit refractive targets and you don’t want to spend time fumbling with cumbersome formula calculators scattered across various locations, consider adopting ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner in your clinic.

^{The statements of the author reflect only his personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any institution with whom he is affiliated.
The author has a contractual or other financial relationship with Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. and has received financial support.}