Comparison of ESCRS and ASCRS Member Surveys

Last year marks the 10th year that I spearheaded the ESCRS member survey and the 24th year for the ASCRS USmember survey. Both questionnaires were mailed to the society's membership lists in August 2009, with 22% (n=731) and 13% (n=634) response rates in Europe and the United States, respectively. Below is a brief summary of the results related to IOL use.

The highest level of interest for IOL choice in Europe was aspheric IOLs, followed respectively by toric, multifocal, and accommodating IOLs. More US than European surgeons said they currently implant presbyopia-correcting (60% vs 33%) and toric (60% vs 44%) IOLs, but 30% of European respondents not using presbyopia-correcting IOLs indicated that they plan to start using them in 2010.

The most popular presbyopia-correcting IOL in both markets was the Restor (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas); the second most popular presbyopiacorrecting IOLs were the Crystalens (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, New York) in the United States and the AT.LISA and AT. LISA toric in Europe (previously called Acri.LISA; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany). The majority (79%) of ESCRS members said they would not use a presbyopiacorrecting IOL in a postrefractive surgery patient.

More European surgeons indicated that they use phakic IOLs (36% vs 12%) and perform refractive lens exchange (44% vs 24%) compared with surgeons in the United States. Although there are more approved phakic IOLs on the market in Europe, 37% of US surgeons who did not yet offer phakic IOLs said they plan to incorporate them into their practice in 2010. Additionally, 26% of Europeans not yet offering phakic IOLs plan to this year.

The most preferred lens material was similar in Europe and the United States, with 77% and 80%, respectively, preferring hydrophobic acrylic. In this category, the AcrySof (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) aspheric lens was the most popular choice in both groups of surgeons. More European surgeons (17% ) than US surgeons (3%) preferred hydrophilic acrylic, and the reverse, 5% and 17%, respectively, preferred silicone.

Major sponsors of the European and US surveys were Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (Santa Ana, California), Alcon Laboratories, Inc., and Bausch & Lomb. Ophtec BV (Groningen, Netherlands) was a minor sponsor of the European survey. The 2010 survey will be Internet-based and will be mailed shortly after the ASCRS meeting in the United States and the ESCRS meeting in Europe.

David V. Leaming, MD, practices at Desert Eye A Medical Corp, Palm Springs, California. Dr. Leaming may be reached at e-mail: eyeopr8@aol.com.