Why Office-Based Surgery Works in My Practice w/ Omar Shakir - Part 1

Omar Shakir, cataract and retina surgeon and founder of Coastal Eye Surgeons in Greenwich, Connecticut had a different idea of how to offer medical care to his patients. Office-based surgery was a natural fit for his boutique-style practice because it gave him the most control over all the variables that go into how surgery is done.

What appealed to him the most about office-based surgery is that it allows surgeons take the lead in how to perform surgery, which is not always the case in an ASC or hospital-based surgical setting. “I'm another cog in the wheel a lot of times. I show up to do my surgery, but I don't have a lot of control or influence over my patient's experience from when they hit the door to when they leave,” Dr. Shakir states about performing surgery at third-party centers. In his iOR office-based surgery suite, he controls everything from the minute the patient walks through the door, what their experience is like being prepped for surgery, and how they're made to feel during the process.

His newfound control from medications to technology and equipment to the surgical staff is not only better for the patient and outcomes, but it's better for the surgeon.

Dr. Shakir’s patients love the environment because it is comfortable and convenient, and he is able to extend that all the way through the surgical setting which spawns less anxiety and leads to more trust in the whole system. Patients are more willing to go forward with it and feel confident in their decision.