Cataract surgery is a low risk surgery. Studies show that routine EKG’s and getting “cleared” for cataract surgery isn’t cost effective. For most people, the testing and exam don’t predict who will have problems or need hospitalization ( super rare) after surgery. Yet doctors and anesthesiologists often make routine patients pay for clearance. Despite the science showing the practice to be ineffective, some doctors keep making the patients and system pay for it. This often costs $200 or more.At The Eye Clinic of Florida patients don’t pay for unnecessary “clearance”. It’s another way that we save patients money over our competitors. Making everyone pay for worthless tests is just wrong in our opinion.
For the vast majority of patients who haven’t had a stroke or heart attack in the last 6 months the cardiovascular risk of cataract surgery is miniscule. No urine or blood test or EKG helps those patients predict any outcome after minor risk surgery like cataract surgery.