PERCEPTIONS
Change of Course
How Groucho Marx glasses sparked a rewarding new venture.
By Glenn Hagele Sacramento, CALIF.

You could giveb Groucho Marx credit for the spark that started the Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (CRSQA). Or at least Groucho's nose and glasses.

CRSQA (pronounced SURS-kah) is a nonprofit organization that I founded. CRSQA certifies refractive surgeons who meet our standards for patient outcomes. It also educates the public about refractive surgery.

CRSQA began in 1997 when I hosted a birthday party for a friend. The theme of the party was Groucho Marx. Everyone dressed as Groucho.

Imagine 40 people wearing those silly black horn-rimmed glasses with the moustache and big nose. Actually, imagine 39.

One of my guests, Carol, wasn't wearing the requisite nose and glasses. Her own glasses were so large, heavy and uncomfortable that she couldn't wear Groucho's.

Carol knew that I had worked as a consultant in the eyecare field. She asked me about surgery to eliminate the need for her glasses. I was able to answer all of her questions until she asked the most important one: Which doctor should perform her surgery?

As it turns out, neither did anyone else. Although many surgeons considered themselves leaders in excimer refractive surgery, no evaluations existed beyond the FDA trials.

I began to research individual surgeons and found that no independent organization fully evaluated the surgical abilities and qualifications of refractive surgeons using excimer technology. The patient was on his or her own. Even worse, no one was giving the patient the tools to figure out if a surgeon was truly experienced. Patients didn't even know which questions to ask.

Then I realized that many prospective patients were deciding not to decide. When faced with the prospect of choosing the wrong surgeon, otherwise motivated candidates were deciding to defer this elective surgery rather than make a wrong decision about a surgeon.

So, I decided to do something about it. The process of attempting to find a refractive surgeon for my friend Carol gave me the idea for what eventually became CRSQA.

For me, the timing of these events happened to be extremely fortunate.

I was at a point in my life at which I was changing many things around. After years of traveling, I had stopped taking long-distance assignments so I could be with my two young boys. Also, I was becoming dissatisfied with my professional life. Although my firm was highly profitable financially, it was less profitable spiritually. It may sound corny, but after years of doing well, I realized that I wanted to do good.

I started to change my professional life and personal lifestyle so that I could afford to work in the nonprofit sector. The changes were dramatic. I literally went from a Rolls Royce to a used Buick, and smiled all the way.

Today, I'm executive director of CRSQA. Our board of trustees consists of such renowned surgeons as Daniel Durrie and Jack Holladay. Each year, the CRSQA Web site -- www.usaeyes.org -- receives more than 8 million hits.

I believe that running CRSQA is what I was meant to do. It's rewarding on all levels. I couldn't be happier.

By the way, in late 1997, my friend Carol underwent photorefractive keratectomy. The result was 20/20 vision. 

Want to tell your story? CALL John Osborn at (215) 643-8055, E-MAIL to osbornjs@boucher1.com, FAX to (215) 643-3902, or WRITE to 1300 Virginia Dr.,Suite 400, Ft. Washington, Pa. 19034. Offer a few thoughts, and we'll take care of the rest.