ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner Has Your Back in an Emergency

I adopted ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner for many of the reasons outlined elsewhere in the series: the convenient collation of biometric data, the surgical advantages of recalling presurgical data in the OR, and the ability to objectively assess your clinic’s outcomes. After several years of using ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner as the backbone of my clinical-surgical operations, I’m reminded daily that it lives up to its proposition value.

And, like any good friend, ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner had my back in a pinch. When an IOL recall hit my clinic earlier this year, my clinic’s surgical leadership (ie, me and the two nurses who lead OR logistics) relied on ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner to quickly, safely, and confidently pivot. The result: high patient satisfaction, surgery going according to plan, and a surgical center that functioned at its typical high volume.

A broad recall of a class of monofocal and premium IOLs was set to affect approximately 200 patient cases scheduled for surgery in the forthcoming 24 hours. To manage this potential crisis, my team took the following steps:

1. Reviewing Patient Charts and Surgical Plans. We first identified which patients were affected by the recall and whether these patients had selected a monofocal or a premium IOL. If we used an old-school system, this would require mounds of inefficient manual review that would be subject to error. Because we had ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner at our fingertips, we quickly identified all patients whose surgical plans needed to be adjusted.
2. Contacting Patients. Patients whose surgical plans were affected were contacted directly by my office with the option to postpone surgery or select a new lens. For monofocal IOL patients, communication was straightforward, as we advised that they swap the recalled monofocal IOL for another technology of similar quality.
   
   For patients who selected premium technology, we relied on ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner to suggest a premium lens that aligned with the patient’s biometric profile and expected postoperative outcomes. During conversations with patients, we explained that the same technology that helped guide us to their preferred lens also guided us toward this new IOL, which helped them select a new lens with confidence.
3. Pivoting Surgical Planning. After patients selected their new IOL, I updated their surgical plans in ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner. Doing so took mere seconds, meaning we spent minimal time adjusting plans while ensuring that accuracy was maintained. As surgical plans were updated, we adjusted our inventory to match our new needs—another process made smoother thanks to ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner. 

A large IOL recall with the potential to rock clinical workflow is a unique event. On a smaller scale, issues with production shortages, supply chain disruptions, or manufacturing defects could lead to a last-minute need to pivot. Such pivots previously required time and staff attention to ensure accuracy; in the ZEISS VERACITY era, these pivots now occur seamlessly with a few taps.

In this instance, ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner served as an extra “employee” who ran point in my clinic for all changes related to the need for rapid and accurate alterations to surgical plans. Rather than subject an employee to the complex task of managing the approximately 200 patient cases that needed to change, my nurses and I relied on the organizational expertise of ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner. With it, we weathered the storm; without it, we would have been worse for wear.

If you are looking to become a high-volume and high-quality surgical practice, in my mind, ZEISS VERACITY Surgery Planner is the backbone you need to achieve and maintain this. 

^{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.}