Cataract Treatment
Femtosecond Laser Procedure
According to the World Health Organization, there are about 100 million people in the world today who are 80 years old or older. That number is expected to almost quadruple by 2050. Aging is the leading cause of eye diseases, such as cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens in the eye. It also happens to be the leading cause of blindness in the world.
Femtosecond lasers have been used successfully in ophthalmic surgery since 2001. The technology has been applied widely, most notably in LASIK (Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis) refractive surgery. Femtosecond lasers emit optical pulses of extremely short duration in the domain of femtoseconds, as short as one-quadrillionth of a second. These ultra-short pulses do not transfer heat or shock to the material being cut and can make surgical incisions with extreme precision. Recent usage approvals have been expanded to include additional corneal/therapeutic procedures and cataract surgical applications.
With traditional cataract surgery, surgeons make an incision and remove the old lens using traditional surgical instruments and blades.
With the Femtosecond Laser approach, patients enjoy the benefits of:
- A bladeless surgical procedure
- Enhanced distance vision with the correction of astigmatism either from the femtosecond laser or a lens implant
- A full range of vision from a multifocal lens implant
The Benefits
Femtosecond Lasers can assist or replace several aspects of manual cataract surgery. These include the creation of the initial surgical incisions in the cornea, the creation of the capsulotomy (incision made into the capsule of the crystalline lens of the eye), and the initial fragmenting (breaking up) of the lens.
The femtosecond laser may also produce incisions within the peripheral cornea to aid in the correction of pre-existing astigmatism.
Watch Surgery on YouTube
At Highland Ophthalmology Associates, our eye surgeons will be able to provide you with recommendations that are best for your particular situation. Call Highland Ophthalmology Associates today at (845) 562-0138 to schedule your first Cataract Surgery consultation with Dr. Mary E. Davidian or Dr. Thien Huynh.