ST. LOUIS—This week TLCVision (Nasdaq: TLCV) offered an update on procedure volumes in the fourth quarter of its 2007 fiscal year. President and chief executive officer Jim Wachtman also acknowledged that the firm’s previously announced plan to sell off its seven stand-alone ambulatory surgery centers “has proceeded slower than anticipated.”

In Q4, the company’s refractive centers’ total procedures increased approximately 2.5 percent on a same store (majority-owned) basis and 13 percent on a converted centers basis. TLCVision’s full year 2007 refractive centers total procedures increased about 6.7 percent on a same store basis and 13.6 percent on a converted centers basis.

In addition, the company said it saw demand grow in January, with refractive center procedures increasing approximately 14.3 percent on a same store basis and 24.8 percent on a converted centers basis last month.

TLCVision has sold its interest in one of its ambulatory surgery centers, and is in discussions to sell two additional centers. The company “will continue to manage the four remaining stand-alone ambulatory surgery centers until it identifies appropriate buyers,” an announcement said.

Wachtman commented, “We accomplished our goal in 2007 of transitioning our core refractive centers business to a more balanced approach of direct to consumer marketing with our medical referral model. This strategy change has produced very promising results with procedure growth rates well above the industry. Despite a soft economy in January, we were pleased to see the strong growth in our core refractive business. We enter 2008 with the right strategy and the right people to execute our robust model.”

The company will release its full-year financial results for 2007 on March 12.