iOR Partners, LLC has selected refractive cataract surgeon Lance J. Kugler, MD, as chairman of its Strategic Advisory Board.
First, a rundown on this company.
iOR Partners is currently the only company solely focused on providing office-based surgery (OBS) suites for clinical practices across the United States.
- Note: An OBS center is an office-based lens surgery center that is a nationally accredited operating room located within an ophthalmic practice.
Talk about these suites.
The company’s iOR surgical suites are designed to provide cataract surgeons the tools to offer more personalized care, plus a turnkey solution that includes:
- Space buildout
- Surgical equipment acquisition
- Staff training
- Insurance acquisition
- Accreditation
- Compliance services
Get an immersive, 360° virtual tour here.
Now talk about Dr. Kugler.
As a board-certified physician/surgeon, Dr. Kugler is credited with opening one of the nation’s first OBS suites. He is the founder and physician CEO of Kugler Vision, an ophthalmology clinic based in Omaha, Nebraska.
Prior to assuming his new role at iOR Partners, he served as the company’s medical director.
What else to know?
Dr. Kugler is also a founding member (and first president; 2014-2016) of the Refractive Surgery Alliance (RSA), where he currently serves on the executive board and is the RSA’s liaison to the American Refractive Surgery Council.
- About RSA: The global organization comprises 300 leading laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgeons; its purpose is to promote ethical refractive physicianship, state-of-the-art equipment, and post-treatment longevity.
He previously served as the director of refractive surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Gotcha. Wasn’t he involved in some iOR Partners-related research not too long ago?
Indeed he was! Back in June 2023, the company reported data from its office-based ophthalmic surgery study published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Dr. Kugler’s connection: He served as lead investigator.
Go on …
Titled Safety of Office-Based Lens Surgery: a U.S. Multicenter Study, the retrospective, multicenter study assessed case records of 18,005 consecutive patients across 36 U.S. states who received office-based lens surgery for either:
- Visually significant cataract surgery (74.1%)
- Refractive lens exchange (RLE) (24.8%)
- Phakic intraocular (IOL) implantation (2.1%)
The study period: August 2020 to May 2022.
Note: Patients were selected based on the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification system.
What was the purpose of this?
Essentially, for researchers to examine the intra- and postoperative complications following lens surgery.
And the gist of those findings?
The study authors concluded that the comparison of adverse event rates for cataract or refractive lens OBS is on par with or even less than that of reported AE rates for cataract surgery performed in an ASC setting.
See further details on both the study and findings.
Alrighty, now let’s talk about Dr. Kugler’s new role.
According to iOR Partners, Dr. Kugler will provide physician guidance to the company’s leadership team and assist in the formation of the Strategic Advisory Board—which he will also lead.
“I am excited to help iOR Partners further advance its mission of delivering exceptional office-based surgical solutions that prioritize patient safety and satisfaction,” he stated.
Lastly, how will his expertise be advantageous for the company?
iOR Partners CEO James Williams noted that, as one of the country’s most experienced OBS surgeons, Dr. Kugler “brings a deep understanding of the ophthalmic office-based surgery paradigm, as well as the challenges that ophthalmologists face.”
Williams added: “His expertise will be invaluable as iOR Partners continues to expand its reach and innovate in the field.”