Laser vision correction procedures are down 15% compared with last year, according to the latest “U.S. Trends in Refractive Surgery” survey, presented by Richard J. Duffey, M.D., at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in San Francisco in late October.

Most of that loss was in LASIK volume, but not all refractive procedures declined. Refractive lens exchange procedures now comprise 8% of all refractive procedures since last year, and phakic IOL implantations went up to 16% of all refractive procedures. Nearly one in four surgeons (24%) have had refractive surgery performed on their own eyes.

Among premium IOLs, ReStor (Alcon) is the most preferred, implanted in 9% of cataract procedures, while Crystalens (Bausch & Lomb) is at 6% and Tecnis Multifocal (Abbott Medical Optics) at 4%.

Comanagement held steady; 60% of surgeons say they comanage patients. And, some 17% of surgeons comanage more their half their patients. Of those surgeons who comanage, 74% see the patient on day one, while 26% allow the comanaging doctor to see the patient on day one.