Summary:
Mr Allon Barsam (UK) engages in a discussion with Dr Eric Donnenfeld (US) and Eric T’Scharner regarding the crucial role of surgical instruments in the success of eye surgery. During their conversation, they explore the emergence of a new player in the instrument industry, HASA Optix, which aims to provide surgeons with innovative solutions without compromising on quality. Notably, HASA Optix also focuses on reducing the environmental impact of eye surgery.
Bios:
Mr Allon Barsam (host)
Mr. Allon Barsam is a director and founding partner of OCL Vision in the UK. He specialises in laser eye surgery, lens-based vision correction surgery, cataract surgery with premium lenses, corneal transplantation, and keratoconus management.
Dr Eric Donnenfeld (guest)
Dr Eric Donnenfeld is an internationally recognised expert and pioneer in refractive, cornea and cataract surgery and one of the leading refractive and cataract surgeons in the United States. He has won numerous awards, including being named Newsweek’s best ophthalmologist in America in both 2022 and 2021.
Mr Eric T’Scharner (guest)
Eric T’Scharner is Chief ‘Everything’ Officer (CEO) at HASA Optix, a start-up surgical instrument company based in Belgium that develops sustainable premium single use instruments for ophthalmic surgery.
Key Takeaways:
HASA OPTIX is a Belgium based medical device company and manufacturer of premium-quality, recyclable, single-use ophthalmic surgical instruments.
Dr Donnenfeld believes that HASA OPTIX provides ‘absolutely the best instruments’ that he has used ‘in his entire career’, recommending them over reusable instruments for the following reasons:
- Premium quality– The level of precision and accuracy with which HASA OPTIX constucts their instruments provides a quality standard equivalent to reusable instruments. The panel agrees that this can improve the reliability of surgeries, reduce the risk of complications, and provide patients with the quality outcomes they want from surgery.
- Improved accuracy: Dr Donnenfeld references microforceps and explains ‘The quality of the HASA microforceps are actually better than the ones that I use that are reusable !’ Assuring surgeons that the instruments ‘meet your needs’ to ‘provide the feel in the OR that goes towards you being a competent surgeon.’
- Lower cost: Eric T’Scharner explains that disposable instruments are actually more cost-effective versus reusable instruments since they eliminate the need for expensive sterilisation equipment and associated procedures. A further review will be published this year (2023) comparing in detail the overall cost and carbon footprint of disposable versus reusable instrumentation.
- Increased efficiency: Switching to single-use instruments means that the right tools are always readily available to accomplish the right goals, leads to better organization in the OR, less stress for the surgeons and staff, and can lower the risk of infections.
Connect with Mr Allon Barsam on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allon-barsam-b533b45/
https://twitter.com/AllonBarsam
https://www.instagram.com/allonbarsam/
Connect with Dr Donnenfeld on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-donnenfeld-98b6a168
Connect with Eric T’Scharner on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-t-scharner-172ab917/