Monthly Archives: September 2019

Many people are suffering from eye diseases like cataract and they are constantly looking for best ways to get rid of it. Very few people opt for traditional cataract surgery which is not that great because it lacks precision. On the other hand, majority people choose laser cataract surgery which uses a computer-assisted laser and renders a highly accurate procedure to free your eyes from cataract and it has helped myriads of eye patients to reclaim their vision back.

What is Laser Cataract Surgery?

Laser Cataract Surgery is also known as Refractive Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (ReLACS). It is a modern surgical treatment for cataract that uses FemtoSecond laser technology which brings a whole new level of accuracy in the procedure as compared to the old times when the cataract was being treated with the help of hand-held equipment. Laser cataract surgery has mainly 3 steps and those are-

• The corneal incision
• The anterior capsulotomy
• Lens and cataract fragmentation

Now, let us see what role the aforementioned steps play during the process of laser cataract surgery

Corneal Incision:
During regular cataract surgery, the surgeon utilizes hand-held medical equipment which has a diamond or metal blade and is used to make an incision in the exact area where the sclera meets the cornea. This incision permits the surgeon to enter the interior parts of the eye to crack up and remove the cataract.

A cataract clouds the eye lens and makes your vision blurry and generally happens behind the pupil. After that, the surgeon inserts an intraocular lens (IOL) to replace the cloudy lens which is causing blurry vision.

Anterior Capsulotomy:
For your information, the natural eye lens is enclosed by a clear and very thin capsule. During laser cataract surgery the anterior part of the capsule is detached into a step known as capsulotomy. This procedure enables the surgeon to garner direct access to the lens which is affected by cataract.

It is of pivotal importance that the remaining part of the lens capsule which was intact in the eye must not be damaged during the surgery because it should hold the implanted lens for the rest of the life. Various studies and researches have shown that the capsulotomies performed with the help of a laser have more reproducibility and accuracy.

Lens and Cataract Fragmentation:
Once the capsulotomy has been performed, the surgeon can access the cataract to remove it. In traditional cataract surgery, during the phacoemulsification process, there is a high chance that the ultrasound energy can build up heat and damage the incision and can negatively affect the outcome by inducing astigmatism.

But when we are dealing with laser cataract surgery, there are no chances of error. The laser softens the cataract as it tears up. By breaking the cataract into much softer and smaller pieces, a lesser amount of energy would be required to remove the cataract which in turn, boosts the overall accuracy of the entire process.

Know more about What is Laser Cataract Surgery?

Should You Consider Laser Cataract Surgery?

Laser cataract surgery is a safe method for the treatment of cataract and has several other advantages, but this type of surgery is not for everyone. Why? It is because the user of a laser and the utilization of premium lenses are not covered by most of the insurance agencies and a patient will have to burn a hole in their pocket for the treatment.

So, if money is not your concern and you want the best possible treatment for your cataract then you must go for laser cataract surgery. It is safer and has lesser post-surgery care and maintenance.

Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery

Laser cataract surgery has myriads of advantages over traditional cataract surgery. Firstly, it is safer and requires lesser post-surgery care and maintenance. Apart from this, a patient has a better vision once the laser surgery has been performed. The accuracy of the laser assists a surgeon in giving people clearer vision faster, more consistently, and very often without glasses. The laser’s accuracy matters a lot when a surgeon wants to graft a multifocal lens which resolves close-up and distant vision or Toric lenses that has the capability to correct astigmatism.

Now, let us see the benefits of laser cataract surgery

1. Laser Cataract Surgery Demands Lesser Energy:
Researches say that the laser treatment requires 45% lesser ultrasound energy for achieving successful cataract removal and, during the procedure, the eye surgeons have to perform 45% fewer movements when compared with the traditional surgery. The laser pretreatment adds about five to seven minutes to the usual 10- to 15-minute cataract surgery.

2. Lesser Cell Damage:
A survey tells us that no endothelial cells are damaged during the laser cataract surgery. This is really good because endothelial cells are the barometer of the eye-health as they preserve cornea’s clarity and are non-regenerative in nature. Another survey shows that during the standard treatment there is a huge loss of endothelial cells and it might range from 1 to 7%

3. Precision Mapping:
Before the surgical procedure starts, the laser cataract system allows a surgeon to create a 3D map of your eyes which helps in achieving exceptionally precise measurements for every step during the surgery.

4. Mild Approach:
The laser system is utilized to soften the cataract in the eyes, and it helps to break them into minute pieces which allow the scope for an easier and gentle way to remove the cataract. In traditional surgery, a surgeon used a hand-held surgical tool which has a metal or diamond blade.

5. Laser Accuracy:
During the first step of cataract surgery, a miniature opening is made with the help of a laser that holds the cataract together. For better accuracy, the laser makes the opening as circular as possible so that the new lens can be inserted without any hassle. For your information, the laser can be utilized to create impeccable incisions which can be used to correct astigmatism.

Now, we hope that you know what a laser cataract surgery is and what are its benefits for you. Laser cataract surgeries are safer and can be used to correct astigmatism as well. If you are having cataract then it will be a good option to visit an eye surgeon and get yourself treated as soon as possible.

A cataract is a type of eye disease which makes your vision blurry and it happens generally due to age, tissue damage or genetic disorder. If anyone has a cataract, it means in their eye(s) a cloud-like substance has formed (in the focusing Lens) and is making the vision hindered. A cataract is the most common reason for vision loss in people who are 40+ and is also the primary cause of blindness in the world!

Cataracts Surgery Techniques

There are two main surgical methods for cataract and one of them uses laser, which has precision and no use of blades! Laser eye surgery is also considered the best for patients who have severe eye conditions such as astigmatism. And the other techniques for cataract surgeries are the traditional surgeries like Phaco and manual small incision (SICS).

Which Treatment is the Best for You?

Without any doubt, laser surgery is the best for you. Just like we mentioned, laser surgery is very accurate and there is no involvement of pain. With laser eye surgery, you can resume your work quickly as well. If you go for traditional surgery, you will have to undergo through the discomfort because traditional cataract surgeries include utilizing a vibrating needle to tear up cataracts, or the cloudy lens. They also use a blade to manually make a small incision inside the cornea via which the cloud-like substances are removed and the replacement lenses are inserted in their place.

How is Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery Done?

As the name suggests, the laser-assisted Semi-Robotic surgery involves the use of laser where a surgeon develops a deeper understanding of your eyes and the most specific of all problems. With laser cataract surgery, the incisions are made with the help of laser, which is also used to generate a better and more precise opening into the lens capsule. Moreover, laser energy is used to unstiffen the cataract before removal. After the laser steps, the cataract fragments are removed with the help of the same probe which is used in the traditional surgery and, in both the procedures, an intraocular lens is inserted.
Know more about What is Laser Cataract Surgery?

Biggest Difference Between Traditional and Laser Cataract Surgery

The biggest difference between the two surgical methods is precision and the involvement of blades. Let’s understand this in a simpler way when a surgeon or an ophthalmologist performs laser-assisted surgery the chances of human errors are next to zero because most of the procedure is computer-assisted and the precision level is pretty high. There is discomfort at all because a surgeon won’t have to use a blade or any other cold-steel surgical instruments.

Now, let’s talk about- traditional surgery! The traditional surgery for cataract removal involves the use of blade and other surgical instruments. There is no use of Semi-Robotic technology here and the chances of errors are higher than usual. It is recommended to always go for laser-assisted eye surgery for your own good.

Last, but not least, laser-assisted surgery takes only few seconds to minutes per eye and when you compare it to traditional surgery it is was lesser! Also, after laser eye surgery, a patient can resume their work quickly and it involves zero post-medication care. Also, the laser-assisted surgery has a shorter recovery time (due to high precision and no use of blades) as compared to traditional surgery.

Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery Which is Absent in Traditional Cataract Surgery

• Semi-Robotic Computer based online assessment of eye during surgery
• A laser cataract surgery increases accuracy and precision
• A laser cataract surgery helps to reduce surgical time
• Laser cataract surgeries do not require blades for cataract removal
• Laser cataract surgery offers lesser recovery time

Know more about the Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery

So, with the help of aforementioned references and points, it is not hard to understand now that the laser surgery is far better than the traditional one because the laser-assisted surgery is more accurate, takes lesser operating time, doesn’t need blades for making incisions, yields quicker recovery, and needs minimal post-operation care. Also, a patient can resume their work soon and start enjoying their life back without any possible issues.

In India, many people are suffering from cataract, according to a report ! A cataract is an eye disease which blocks your good vision because of a cloud-like substance forms in your focusing lens. The most common reasons for having cataract varies but it can be anyone or a combination of few factors, such as- age, tissue damage or even genetic disorder. So, before beginning further, let us first see, what is laser cataract surgery?

Laser Cataract Surgery

Laser Cataract Surgery is also commonly known as Femto Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS). For people to understand better, it’s a very advanced type of cataract surgery which utilizes the state-of-the-art Femto Second laser Semi-Robotic technology. This type of treatment with the modern instruments and technology brings a whole new level of accuracy to steps in the process of cataract surgery that was traditionally being performed with the help of hand-held surgical tools.

Lens & Cataract Fragmentation

In most of the cases, cataract surgery is treated without any possible complication. Though in some eyes, the cataract cannot be removed completely, and bits and fragments of the cataract might fall back into the eye from where they can’t be carefully extracted by a cataract surgeon. Even the most adept eye surgeons have this happened in their life at least once. The stakes are higher when the cataract is hard or if injury or any other condition have spoiled the attachment of the lens to the inner eyewall.  So, it is highly recommended to use modern instruments during the treatment for damage control.

Astigmatism Correction at the Time of Cataract Surgery

There are numerous options for treating and correcting astigmatism during the time of cataract surgery. It generally include incision which is placed on the vertical axis of corneal astigmatism which can be a single or paired peripheral corneal relaxing incisions, and Toric intraocular lens implantation. Also, for your information, Phacoemulsification incision placement on the steep corneal axis corrects small amounts of astigmatism and is enough for most eyes but, peripheral corneal relaxing incisions correct greater amounts of astigmatism.

Can Cataracts be Removed by Laser Surgery?

Yes, a cataract can be removed with the help of laser eye surgery! There are state-of-the-art eye care technologies such as the CATALYS® precision laser cataract removal system and the FemtoSecond Laser for the ReLEx SMILE used for near sightedness (Myopia) procedure which is minimally invasive in nature. During the ReLEx SMILE surgery, there is no need to flap the cornea and the patients recover quickly when compare to traditional surgical methods. It is safer and includes lesser post-surgical care and medication as well.

Cost of Laser Cataract Surgery

The cost of laser cataract surgery is highly variable; the minimum treatment cost would be Rs. 10,000 per eye and if you want some special type of international lenses, it will cost more, such as- Rs. 25,000 to 40,000 per eye.

Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery

• Custom-tailored treatment with advanced 3D imaging
• 100% precise in nature
• An easier and gentler cataract-removal surgery with lesser ultrasound energy
• More options for astigmatism correction
• Better vision following the cataract surgery

Know more about the Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery

Is Laser Cataract Surgery Better Than Conventional?

Without a doubt, laser cataract surgery is better than the conventional method! In traditional cataract surgery, the incisions are made inside the cornea for accessing the cataract using a single-used and handheld steel or diamond blade. The eye surgeon will then utilize a specialized microsurgical tool to generate an opening in the lenscapsule which holds the cataract and after all this, the surgery will be done.

When it comes to laser cataract surgery, the incisions are made with precision lasers which are also used to make a precise cut opening into the lens capsule. In addition, the laser beam is used to soften the cataract before removal.
So, in short, laser cataract surgery is better and safer in all situations.

How Long Does Laser Cataract Surgery Last?

A Laser cataract surgery generally takes no longer than 30-40 seconds and about 10 minutes for completion. Just immediately after the surgery, you can rest in a recovery area for some time. Typically, the whole procedure from procedure to rest in recovery area consumes about 30 minutes to an hour, max.