US and EU practice styles similar

The practice styles and choices of US and EU ophthalmologists are very similar with the greatest differences apparent in refractive surgery, David Leaming said. Dr Leaming revealed the results of the ESCRS/ASCRS comparison survey, which tracks practice choices in both societies.

A multiple-choice survey was mailed to all US ASCRS members not in training and all ESCRS EU members to ascertain their practice styles. The questions were for the most part identical so that valid comparisons could be obtained. In Europe, 656 questionnaires were returned from 3,070 sent out, or a 21% response rate, while there was just a 14% response rate, or 628 questionnaires, in the US.

Intraocular surgical techniques were similar for both societies with EU country differences highlighted. The biggest difference was found in the refractive area. Alcon's Infiniti is the most popular phaco machine in the US (33%), but only one-third in Europe (16%), behind the Alcon Legacy (24%) and Bausch & Lomb's Millennium.

While VISX (66%) dominates the US market in laser machines, there is a much greater variation in laser machine use in Europe, though Bausch & Lomb's Technolas leads (28%) followed by Wavelight (20%). Also there is a greater use of phakic IOLs in Europe (24%) as compared to the US (9%).

There are many more results available on the study author's website, http://www.leamingsurveys.com/