) Visit of clinical leads, consultants and theatre managers from the UK to the Bausch + Lomb Storz® Ophthalmic Instruments in Heidelberg | Bausch + Lomb Surgical

Visit of clinical leads, consultants and theatre managers from the UK to the Bausch + Lomb Storz® Ophthalmic Instruments in Heidelberg

As part of our commitment in delivering high quality ophthalmic products globally we offer guided customer tours at our manufacturing plant in Heidelberg, Germany. The aim of the visit is to show our customers the process involved when manufacturing Bausch + Lomb Storz® Ophthalmic instruments, including microsurgical instruments for cataract, retina, refractive and cornea surgery. 

On April 19th, 2018 a group of ten Ophthalmic customers from across the UK including Consultant Ophthalmologists and Theatre Managers visited the production plant in Heidelberg to learn more about the history of the plant and the manufacturing processes involved when producing instruments that are designed in-house.

Horst Vollmerhausen, Plant Manager in Heidelberg is delighted to be able to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technologies combined with high quality production of approximately 2 million instruments that are produced on a yearly basis:

 “The combination of technology and workmanship, expertise and valuable experience as well as the depth of in-house production of which we are particularly proud, is a unique feature in the medical device industry. Every visit gives us the chance to share our passion for high precision craftsmanship with our customers.”

As part of the visit, Carolin Drewes, Senior Product Manager Instruments EMEA, Carsten Hantl, Depot Service Manager EMEA and Thomas Ostermeier, Manager Development Instruments shared interesting insights about the upcoming product pipeline, the technical service, the research and development process and the upcoming challenges of the new Medical Device Regulation that became effective in 2017. 

During the plant tour visitors were able to discover "behind the scenes" insight into the renowned quality label: “Made in Germany” which we often speak about. At Bausch + Lomb a highly qualified workforce and a focus on the surgeon are key aspects of the instruments business model, as well as innovation and precision.

Looking over the shoulders of highly qualified specialists such as precision engineers, surgical instrument technicians, CNC technology experts, industrial technicians, goldsmiths, watchmakers and dental technicians is a rare opportunity that not a lot of companies can offer.

Mr Nishal Patel, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Medical Retina Specialist at East Kent Hospitals University Foundation NHS Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Kings College London School of Medicine states:

“I found the visit to the plant very insightful with regards to the operational and funding requirements for reusable and disposable instruments. The team were well organised and reciprocative with the clinical teams that were hosted, and I was impressed by the training and structural support for instrument manufacturers within the industry. I would recommend this to other surgeons to help them understand how ophthalmic device companies operate and gain networking opportunities in this field.”

The overall feedback from the visitors is very positive hence forthcoming plans to replicate the programme with customer visits from Czech Republic, Italy and Germany.

If you are interested in visiting the Bausch + Lomb Storz® Ophthalmic Instruments facilities in Heidelberg, please contact us and schedule your visit.

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