A subscription service for knives used in cataract surgery will reduce the medical waste carbon footprint, and operating expenditure according to the company behind the new plan, EXCEL-LENS.

Reusable Diamond knives for cataract surgery were introduced in the 1980s, but EXCEL-LENS said historically their use has been hampered by the large amount of capital expenditure required to purchase multiple knives.

As well, when knives needed to be repaired or re-sharpened, they typically needed to be sent to Europe – costing time as well as money.

EXCEL-LENS General Manager Mark Heron said these challenges are overcome by the decision to offer Diamond knives for cataract surgery on a monthly subscription basis.

“Our subscription model aims to replace a hospital’s single use cataract knife usage – therefore reducing medical waste and increasing sustainability – and typically results in reduced operating expenditure per month, versus the cost of single use knives, with no compromise to surgical precision.

“Under our subscription model we will collect and replace any EXCEL Diamond knife that needs repair or resharpening within two business days – therefore eliminating the high costs, lengthy wait times, and administration which would normally be required for a hospital-owned Diamond Knife to be repaired,” Mr Heron said.

The subscription service is available to Australian eye hospitals.