STAAR Surgical opens EVO Experience Center in US

STAAR Surgical's EVO Experience Center will serve as a hub of the EVO Lens-Based Experience for ophthalmic surgeons, staff and healthcare practitioners. (Images courtesy of STAAR Surgical Co.)

In an effort to provide an immersive EVO lens-based experience for ophthalmologists and their staffs, STAAR Surgical Co. has opened the first company-operated EVO Experience Center.

According to a news release from the company, the center is located at STAAR’s corporate headquarters in Lake Forest, California, within close proximity to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.

Caren Mason, president and CEO of STAAR Surgical, noted in the release that the company is excited by the prospects of the company-operated EVO Experience Center for ophthalmic healthcare practitioners, designed to provide an immersive lens-based education experience with all the necessary tools, assets and resources to grow a successful EVO practice.

“Similar EVO training centers already exist in hospitals, clinics and universities outside the U.S. and we are delighted to establish the first EVO Experience Center in the U.S. at our corporate headquarters,” Mason said in a news release. “STAAR is committed to the comprehensive sharing of EVO ICL best practices, training, education and practice development.”

Mason said the company hopes that its EVO Experience Center will “elevate interest, training and adoption of EVO ICL, globally, among existing and potential EVO ophthalmic surgeons and healthcare practitioners.”

STAAR Surgical's simulation room includes the company's Online Calculation & Ordering System (OCOS), an OCULUS Pentacam AXL Wave, 3D visualization for EVO lens loading and delivery, and a unique Collamer chamber that demonstrates the tensile mechanical properties of STAAR’s proprietary Collamer material.

Moreover, the company noted that its EVO Experience Center is equipped with advanced visualization and communications technology, allowing for in-person and virtual training, medical education and practice development programs. The center features a surgical simulation room along with meeting spaces that will showcase STAAR’s award winning global consumer marketing, and include practice development tools for interactive discussion.

The surgical simulation room includes STAAR’s Online Calculation & Ordering System (OCOS), an OCULUS Pentacam AXL Wave, 3D visualization for EVO lens loading and delivery, and a unique Collamer chamber that demonstrates the tensile mechanical properties of STAAR’s proprietary Collamer material. The EVO Experience Center features a 120-inch 4K video array that will allow video conferencing and surgical simulation, with the potential to stream live surgeries performed at other locations to the surgical simulation room.

The center officially opened on November 10 with a grand opening event attended by local ophthalmic surgeons and staff, STAAR management and clinical staff, and EVO patients.

During the grant opening event, India Gants, the 2017 winner of America’s Next Top Model as well as an EVO ICL patient, fashion model and digital media influencer, shared her journey to visual freedom with EVO during a live interview.

Scott D. Barnes, MD, STAAR’s chief medical officer, joined via a live video stream from surgeon training internationally to welcome attendees and demonstrate the versatility and global accessibility of the center.

For more information about the EVO Experience Center and to schedule a visit, contact Jaimie Morgan, STAAR Surgical’s senior director of Strategic and Professional Education at 626-303-7902 ext. 3047.