Focus Medical Ancillary Inc. (FMA) is an Independent Health Facility that has been granted a license to perform Cataract Surgery in the Province of Ontario under the Independent Health Facilities Act. For more information, please click the link below:

https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ihf/docs/ihf_fact.pdf

FMA has hospital-privileged Ophthalmologists registered with the IHF Program who are able to perform cataract surgery in our facility. FMA is accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) as an Out-of-Hospital Premise Level 2 Facility and follows its program standards, including but not limited to physical premises, anesthesia, staffing, reporting and quality assurance. For more information, please click the link below:

https://focuseye.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OHIP-standards.pdf

Cataract Surgery has and is being done at Out-of-Hospital Private Centres in other provinces, including Alberta and British Columbia, for over 10 years. In Ontario FMA is governed by the Independent Health Facility Act, and as well must follow the Standards set out for Out-of-Hospital Premise by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.  FMA/Everest SurgiCentre has been successfully operating a CPSO, OHIP Level 2 Premise for over 14 Years.  Since September of 2020, FMA has worked with The Ottawa Hospital on a Cataract Backlog Project by providing our Operating Rooms to assist in reducing the backlog made worse by the impact of COVID-19 on the health system.  Our Kingston facility continues to work with Kingston Health Science Centre (KHSC) on a Cataract Backlog Project in that region since 2021.

Similar to a hospital setting, patients do not have to pay any fees to access Cataract Surgery at FMA/Everest SurgiCentre.  There is a Standard of Care Lens (monofocal non-toric IOL) that is no charge to patients, and Diagnostic Biometry Testing (the process of measuring the corneal power and length of the eye for Replacement Lens Calculation) through ultrasound A-scan is no charge. If you as a patient opt for a specialty lens and/or additional advanced Biometry testing, there are fees.  It is important to stress that there is a requirement to offer these additional items, even if deemed non medically necessary, to all patients receiving Cataract Surgery whether it be in or outside the hospital.  FMA’s fees are comparable to those in a community ophthalmologist office or hospital.  A patients’ position on the waitlist will not be determined by their choice of Standard of Care Lens or Specialty lens or diagnostic technology.

Your surgeon, who is registered with the Independent Health Facility Program, has reviewed your care plan and provided this option for you. The choice is up to the patient. If patient prefers, the surgeon’s office can schedule patient in a hospital.

It will be the same procedure as if it were taking place at the hospital, just in a different location. The surgeons and anesthetists who will be taking care of your surgery have hospital privileges.

In addition to the removal of the cloudy natural lens, and replacement with a clear artificial lens, Refractive Cataract surgery has a goal to reduce spectacle dependence. Refractive Cataract is intended to get patients to the best possible vision by incorporating additional advanced non-OHIP covered services.

The surgeon has an additional array of non-OHIP covered Advanced Diagnostic Eye Tests (ADET), including intra-operative Waverfront abberometry (ORA System®), computer assisted marking and alignment (Verion™), selection of advanced technology intra-ocular lenses (ATIOL), artificial intelligence analysis of post-operative results (AnalyzOR™) and the option of an enhancement procedure using a refractive laser.

Any fees associated with Specialty Lenses will be similar to Hospital. FMA/Everest SurgiCentre offers the same Lenses as are available and most frequently used in the Hospital.