Are you ready for some great news? You can find ideal candidates for the KAMRA corneal inlay (CorneaGen) without paying a cent in advertising. The key is to look within your existing patient database. I know this because our clinic just started implanting the KAMRA inlay in August 2017, and we’ve already implanted more than 30 in patients who had previously been treated at my center, the 20/20 Institute.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
The first thing we did when we started to offer the KAMRA inlay was to reach out to our patients who already had a refractive procedure with us.
We did a search of our database and identified patients who had LASIK prior to turning 40 but had now reached that milestone where presbyopia starts to set in. From that list, we narrowed it down even further to those patients who met the criteria for KAMRA inlay implantation, such as adequate corneal thickness, the ideal preoperative refraction (-0.75 D), and a pristine ocular surface. We contacted this group of patients via telephone and email and basically said, "We have this new procedure. Would you be interested in hearing about it?"
When a patient said yes, we would send them information about the KAMRA inlay in an email, and then we would follow-up with them to schedule a consultation. This process was not only quick and cost efficient, but we already knew that the patient was a candidate for the inlay before he or she walked in the door.
THE TRUST IS ALREADY THERE
Another benefit to mining your existing patient database for potential KAMRA inlay candidates is that your patients already have trust in your practice. Additionally, for a patient who has already had LASIK, he or she is past the fear factor of surgery, and therefore even more willing to have a second procedure.
We have found this is especially the case in middle-aged LASIK patients who had great distance and near vision after surgery but are beginning to notice they need reading glasses.
It also helps patients to hear that I've had the procedure and that I can relate to what they’d be going through during the healing process. I am able to demonstrate what vision with the KAMRA inlay would be like by using a pinhole occluder (see Pinhole Demonstration Step-by-Step ). I then demonstrate what monovision would look like, so that they can compare their vision with each. That's when they get the big wow factor; the KAMRA inlay just provides unbeatable near vision without sacrificing distance.
CONCLUSION
If you practice in a refractive surgery center and are interested in gaining momentum with the KAMRA inlay, the best piece of advice I have for you is to start from within. Review your patient database and identify those patients who would be ideal candidates for the inlay (Figure 1). Reach out to them, and educate them on the benefits of the inlay. I would be surprised if you don’t convert at least a handful.
Figure 1. Reviewing your patient database can help to uncover ideal KAMRA inlay candidates.
KAMRA is a trademark of CorneaGen. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
