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New Laser Makes Cataract Surgery Safer and More Accurate
New York, NY (PRWEB) December 2, 2010
Cataract surgery is the process of removing and replacing the eye’s natural lens with an implant. The natural lens needs to be replaced as it becomes cloudy with age; this cloudiness is known as a cataract. Cataracts are currently the most common cause of vision loss in adults over 55 years of age. By the age of 65, approximately half of the population has a cataract. Cataract surgery is currently one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the world. New advances in laser technology will allow for more accurate, less invasive cataract surgeries with an even shorter recovery period.
Cataract surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist or eye surgeon and consists of five main steps. The first step in the surgical procedure is to make a small incision into the cornea, the clear part at the front of the eye. Next, a small tool is inserted which the surgeon uses to make a hole in the bag which contains the natural lens. Once this hole is made, the surgeon will break up the natural lens into pieces and remove the pieces with an ultrasound probe. Finally, a new lens implant is placed in the eye.
In laser cataract surgery, many of the steps in the procedure can be assisted with a new laser technology known as femtosecond laser. The incision into the cornea and the hole in the bag containing the lens can both be performed with the laser, rather than with hand-held instruments. Using the laser for these steps makes them more accurate, safe and reproducible. Studies have shown that incisions into the cornea made by laser will close more tightly after the surgery than those made by hand; leading to lower rates of infection after surgery.
Despite the fact that modern cataract surgery (as well as lasik surgery) takes only a matter of minutes, the majority of complications that occur are related to how long the surgery takes and how much power is needed by the ultrasound probe to remove the natural lens. The breaking up of the lens into pieces can also be done with this new laser rather than with the probe. Studies have shown that this method reduces both the time and amount of power needed to remove the lens pieces. Less power and time translate to a more successful surgery with less complications and faster recovery time for the patient.
In addition to helping with the surgery itself, this new laser technology can even help manage an additional procedure sometimes done if the patient has a condition known as astigmatism. Astigmatism can be reduced or eliminated with an additional incision into the cornea during the surgery. This incision can also be performed using the laser rather than by hand, yielding more accurate and reproducible results with lower rates of infection.
The first laser cataract surgery was performed in the U.S. in March of 2010. There are already several companies developing laser systems specifically for laser cataract surgery. While laser cataract surgery is still in an experimental phase, the lasers used in the procedure are already FDA approved. Many surgeons agree that laser cataract surgery will soon become a widely used technique due to its benefits of safety, accuracy and reduced recovery time.
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