Platform combines technology for anterior, posterior segment

The system became commercially available in early August, and was installed soon after at the ambulatory surgery center used by Dr. Awh, a private practice vitreoretinal specialist with Tennessee Retina PC, Nashville, TN.

"The [combined vitreoretinal/cataract surgery system] has been thoughtfully designed to meet the demands of the current health-care environment where surgeons want to deliver state-of-the-art care but must remain aware of cost as an issue," he said. "As performance of ophthalmic surgical procedures has gravitated more to the setting of the ambulatory surgery center, the [system] offers significant advantages in terms of features, cost, and size."

Benefits for the vitreoretinal surgeon

The system can be used to perform 25- and 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV, Bausch + Lomb) and for conventional 20-gauge vitreoretinal surgery.

"Dual-linear control is also a great control feature," he said. "With dual-linear [control], I can independently vary vacuum and cut rate during vitrectomy, or vacuum and phaco power during lensectomy. It's a very elegant and efficient way to operate."