China LASIK Forcast 2013 - 2023

Forecast of Laser Refract ive Surgery in China: 2013 -2023

Unless the capital equipment model is improved to lower the barrier to entry for new centers and to make it less costly to upgrade when new technologies become available, capital equipment concerns will continue to negatively impact market growth.

Surgeon Training

Surgeon training in China is very different than in the United States, where ophthalmic residency programs are well established, conform to published standards and turn out trained surgeons according to a schedule. In China, training programs vary considerably in their structure and organization. Training may go for several years longer than in the United States and the surgical skills of doctors who graduate from ophthalmic training programs vary widely. Surgeon training for laser refractive surgery is not trivial. A key element of effective surgeon training is a focus on clinical outcomes, which occurs through proliferation of best-practices among centers. The current system in China varies by region, is non-standardized, and does not support adherence to best -practice guidelines. Many centers in China are using equipment considered outdated by modern standards, and systematic clinical outcomes analysis is rare if it exists at all. Growth of the refractive surgery industry in China requires improvement in surgeon training, standardization of best-practices and greater focus on clinical outcomes.

TODAY, CHINA MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH REFRACTIVE SURGEONS TO MEET THE POTENTIAL DEMAND FORECASTED BY THIS MODEL. SURGEON TRAINING PROGRAMS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING STANDARDS ARE NEEDED.

China does not currently have enough refractive surgeons to meet the potential demand forecasted by this model. Laser manufacturers and/or distributors could—and arguably should—take a more active role in surgeon training. This has been successfully implemented in U.S. and European markets, and this western model for surgeon training could be replicated in China.

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