Today, most comprehensive ophthalmologists generate two-thirds of their revenue in the office, twice that in the operating room.

In addition, every year, per visit office fees escalate as they are tied to primary care, which is in favor with our government representatives and payers. Finally, by leveraging ancillary personnel and diagnostic equipment, we continuously learn how to see more patients per hour in the office. Thus, while we rarely focus on it, office-based practice is critically important to every ophthalmologist.

My 5-decade practice experience confirms this trend. My first year of practice was 1978, and our office charged $50 for a comprehensive eye examination and $2,000 for cataract surgery with a standard IOL. At that time, I saw four patients an hour in the office and p

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