Resident Levin seeks to cut veterans' pre-op burden

Ariana Levin, MD, argued that cataract surgery programs should reconsider routine preoperative history-and-physical requirements that can force veterans into extra clinic trips before surgery, according to an Ophthalmology Times article reviewed by Levin and available on the publication’s website. The piece said those visits can add travel time and out-of-pocket burdens for patients who may already be traveling long distances for care. Levin was identified in the article as a resident at the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah. The publication’s account aligns with a 2020 letter in the *Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery* listing Levin among the authors. ### Which pre-op step is Levin questioning? The Ophthalmology Times article focused on the short preoperative evaluation for histories and physicals that many patients are asked to complete before cataract surgery. The publication said that requirement may offer an opportunity to streamline care for patients scheduled for the procedure, particularly when the visit does not change management. (ophthalmologytimes.com) Ariana Levin said in the article that she supports limiting unnecessary clinic visits and rethinking routine histories before surgery. Moran CORE, an educational site tied to the University of Utah’s Moran Eye Center, separately hosts a presentation by Levin titled “Burden of Preoperative History/Physical On Veterans Undergoing Surgery,” dated October 9, 2019. ### Why are veterans the focus of this discussion? (ophthalmologytimes.com) Ophthalmology Times said veterans undergoing cataract surgery can face excess travel time as well as associated costs for lost work, food and lodging when an added preoperative visit is required. The article framed those burdens as unnecessary in many cases, especially when the evaluation is brief and not tied to a change in surgical planning. (ophthalmologytimes.com) The veteran focus also appears in the related journal record. PubMed lists a June 2020 *Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery* item titled “The burden of required preoperative history/physicals on veterans undergoing cataract surgery,” authored by Ariana M. Levin, Craig J. Chaya and Rachel G. Simpson. PubMed’s entry does not include an abstract, but it confirms the subject, authors and publication details. ### What evidence is publicly available behind the claim? (ophthalmologytimes.com) The strongest public documentation is the Ophthalmology Times article and the journal citation indexed by PubMed. The trade publication said the current preoperative requirement offers a chance to streamline the process, while the PubMed entry shows Levin and co-authors formally published on the burden of those requirements in 2020. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Moran CORE adds a third public reference point. The site describes Levin’s presentation as “Rethinking Preoperative H&P Requirement Prior to Cataract Surgery” and places it within cataract-surgery preparation materials. That does not by itself establish a policy change, but it shows Levin’s argument was presented in an academic setting before the Ophthalmology Times piece appeared. (ophthalmologytimes.com) ### Did Levin call for eliminating all pre-op screening? The available sources do not show Ariana Levin calling for the end of all preoperative screening before cataract surgery. Ophthalmology Times described her position more narrowly: reevaluating routine histories and limiting unnecessary clinic visits that add burden without clear benefit. The distinction matters because the published material is about streamlining, not abandoning, pre-surgical review. (morancore.utah.edu) PubMed’s listing and Moran CORE’s archived materials both point to the same issue — the burden of required preoperative history-and-physical visits on veterans — rather than a broader campaign against preoperative assessment. (ophthalmologytimes.com) ### Where does Levin fit now? Ariana Levin is now listed by Washington University in St. Louis and by NYU Langone Health as an ophthalmologist whose training included residency at the University of Utah Moran Eye Center from 2019 to 2022. Those biographical pages indicate the article’s description of her as a resident reflected her status at the time of the original reporting, which Ophthalmology Times dates to its September 15, 2020 issue and October 14, 2020 digital edition. (morancore.utah.edu) The Ophthalmology Times article remains online as of May 2026, and the PubMed record for the 2020 journal correspondence remains accessible. Those two records are the clearest public sources for readers looking to trace Levin’s argument and the publication history behind it. (ophthalmologytimes.com) (ophthalmology.wustl.edu)