Cataract Surgery with a New Generation of Femtosecond Laser

Today femtosecond laser is used to treat cataracts. With this laser, ophthalmologists can make more precise corneal incisions and the lens openings. Previously, in traditional cataract surgery, surgical cuts were created using a surgical blade; but, today, more precise and cleaner surgical incisions are created only with a femtosecond laser.

Although a cataract surgery performed with phaco ultrasound power, a non-stitched outpatient surgery, has been known as laser cataract surgery for most patients, recently modern laser cataract surgery is performed using a femtosecond laser with higher precision and quality and the surgeon uses this laser to break apart the cataract into smaller pieces. The laser used in cataract surgery is femtosecond laser, which has been used in eye surgeries for nearly two decades. It is important to remember that even in femtosecond laser cataract surgery, after breaking apart the cataract, phacofragmentation is used to remove the cataract.

To determine the shape and thickness of the cornea and the lens, first the surgeon performs anterior segment imaging. Then, according to the image, the path of the laser beam for surgical incisions can be determined. In general, this surgery has two important parts; first, surgical incisions are created with the laser and then phacofragmentation. The first part takes about 3 minutes, and the second part lasts a few minutes.

Undoubtedly, at all these steps, patient cooperation provides better conditions for the surgeon to perform the surgery more precisely. Before emitting the laser to the eye, first an ultrasound imaging device is placed over the patient’s eye to create a digital map of its surface and gather exact information about the condition of the lens, it takes 2-3 minutes. It is very important to remember that the patient should be relaxed during imaging and emitting laser and should not move his/her eyes; he/she should only look at the flashing light. Experiences have shown that women have better cooperation during surgery; usually men worry too much during the procedure!

Not everyone is a good candidate for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. Patients with corneal opacities or small pupils are not good candidates for this type of cataract surgery, because in these cases, the ultrasound imaging device does not create an accurate digital map of the eye and the surgeon cannot accurately emit the laser to the certain places of the cornea. For this reason, the patient is carefully examined prior to surgery in order to confirm the transparency of the cornea and the size of the pupil. Systemic diseases do not have a special effect on the outcome of laser cataract surgery. This type of cataract surgery is even suitable for people with hepatitis or HIV, because it is bladeless, and as a result of the increased immunity, the surgeon and medical staff do not face particular problems.

If the patient has a little bit of astigmatism too, it can be corrected with laser during laser cataract surgery. In case of moderate to high astigmatism, it can be corrected with Toric IOLs implantation during cataract surgery or performing a laser refractive surgical procedure, a few months later. In any case, the astigmatism does not cause any disorder in laser cataract surgery.

Quality of Treatment

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery is a highly effective surgical procedure, which is recently performed in the most prestigious ophthalmology centers in the world.

For the first time in Iran, Noor Eye Hospital utilized a Femtosecond laser device for cataract surgery, and several training courses in the field of laser cataract surgery were held in this hospital. This device is one of the most common laser devices for cataract surgery, which a large number of them are used in the best eye centers of the United States.

Recently, Noor Eye Hospital utilizes a new generation of femtosecond laser device to provide a high-quality treatment for patients with cataracts. Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery is a very effective method and is recommended for a successful treatment.