Not according to our patients. For many of us in ophthalmology, one of the most difficult issues to absorb during the pandemic was the idea that what we do as surgeons had become “non-essential.” For me—and I think for many others as well—one of the reasons I became an ophthalmologist was the high value that people place on their vision and our ability to restore or improve it. The essential nature of vision in our patients’ minds ignites our passion to excel at ocular surgery.

Being placed on the sidelines for two months was a difficult thing for us as surgeons to deal with.

Fortunately, most of us are back in the operating room now, as most states have allowed surgical services to resume. The lingering question was: Will our patients be willing to have surgery in this new environment? It would appear that the answer is a resounding “yes.”

We’ve seen our surgery schedule return to pre-coronavirus levels almost immediately, and most ASCs I have talked to echo the same story. It was a common occurrence in our surgery center to hear patients express their gratitude that we were back to doing surgery, allowing them to have their vision improved. The delay in surgery for some was an inconvenience, but for others it was a true hardship, showing how essential our work is to those who need us.

This edition of The Ophthalmic ASC is essential reading from cover to cover. Recently, I participated with some colleagues in a panel discussion of best practices and key considerations for opening the ASC fully after COVID-19, a recap of which can be found on page 12. Additional articles on maximizing revenue streams (page 7) and a continuation of the series on drop-free cataract surgery (page 16) are also essential reading.

I, for one, will never consider the work I do for my patients as non-essential, nor should anyone else who is privileged to be an eye surgeon.

Now is the time to make sure our elected officials understand how essential our services are. The Ophthalmic Outpatient Surgery Society (OOSS) is our advocate and does an outstanding job representing us at all levels. If your center is not a member, maybe now is the time to change that. In fact, it’s essential. ■