Laser cataract operation
It can be said that cataracts are a lesser evil in our environment. A large part of the population has suffered it in someone close to them, and therefore has heard or seen that it is a Fast intervention, little traumatic and offering very good results.
La cataract surgery It is the most common surgical activity in ophthalmology, because of its frequency but still, there is an important ignorance regarding the laser technology and its application in this intervention.
Laser cataract operation
It can be said that cataracts are a lesser evil in our environment. A large part of the population has suffered it in someone close to them, and therefore has heard or seen that it is a Fast intervention, little traumatic and offering very good results.
La cataract surgery It is the most common surgical activity in ophthalmology, because of its frequency but still, there is an important ignorance regarding the laser technology and its application in this intervention.
What are cataracts?
La cataract occurs after opacification of the lens, which acts as the eye's natural lens. When light passes through this lens and reaches the retina, it allows the formation of the images we see.
Therefore, when this part of the eye loses its transparency, correct imaging is prevented crisp that leads to a loss of vision and sharpness. Currently, the Cataract operation is the best and only option to improve eyesight and quality of life.
The appearance of cataracts is an aspect that worries most of the population at some point in their lives, since today we depend on vision to carry out a large part of our daily tasks. The doubts about cataract operation they can be pressing, especially if the ophthalmologist has diagnosed us with this condition and if we refer to its treatment.
However, the Advances made in recent years are reason enough to instill tranquility, since the cataract surgery risks are lower In the vast majority of cases.
This condition mainly affects elderly people, its high incidence in the population and technological development allow us to currently offer a safe surgical intervention without posing a risk to the patient.
Is cataract surgery currently done with laser?
On many occasions, the use of the laser is attributed to any operation as if it were a magic word. For years, it seems that being able to treat something with a laser is synonymous with success.
It is important to emphasize that the use of the laser in a cataract operation is not something recent. The first experiences began 15 years ago, and Área Oftalmológica Avanzada was a pioneer in this campo, since then we have continued to develop this technology to the present date.
How to Live Aligned with cataract surgery experts, Our experience was published in one of the most prestigious specialized magazines (J Cataract Refract Surg 2003;29:1339-45) the results obtained led us to continue developing this technique, with the desire to continue improving and investigating.
At present, we have gone from a reserved forecast in which the cataract surgery recovery with laser lasted up to almost a month, with very high efficacy and safety, with recovery times that can be reduced to one week yes what we combine the bilateral cataract operation, both eyes in the same session, and the Bimanual technique with MICS microincision.
How is cataract surgery performed?
The current technique most widely used worldwide for cataract surgery is called phacoemulsification, and is based on ultrasonic technology. It is about undoing the cataract (emulsification) and sucking it out from inside the eye.
This technology has allowed the most expert surgeons in cataract surgery to perform it through microincisions (less than 1 mm) that even eliminate the need for sutures in the eye.
The importance of this technique is that, currently, All cataract surgery, with or without laser, requires the use of a phacoemulsifier, that is, ultrasound.
So what is the laser really used for in a cataract operation?
Femtosecond laser for cataract operation
The advances produced during the last years have led to appearance of the femtosecond laser, what does he do? tissue cuts with great precision and its main area of employment is in the corneal surgery.
It is a type of laser whose main advantage lies in the cut. The application of the femtosecond laser in cataract surgery allows the surgeon to carry out some steps in a more exact and reproducible way.
In fact, the need to use two different devices (laser and ultrasound) makes the duration of laser cataract operation is somewhat longer.
To carry out the intervention, it is necessary to move the patient and adapt it to each device. Even the laser and the phacoemulsifier are often located in different rooms, not only because of the space they occupy, but also because the femtosecond laser is also used for other purposes such as refractive surgery, a procedure that is usually performed in another type of operating room.
Advantages of operating laser cataracts
Now that we know that the laser cataract operation can be done, we must take into account some nuances. The reality is that for now, it does not provide drastic advantages over the traditional technique with phacoemulsification, but it does facilitates and makes it more precise.
The incision
El laser is applied to make the incision or opening of the eye, for which steel or diamond scalpels are currently used, which already offered similar results to the femtosecond laser.
Corneal incision in cataract surgery with a diamond scalpel.
Corneal incision in cataract surgery seen with optical coherence tomography.
Capsulorexis
Another maneuver performed with the cataract laser is the capsulorexis or lens opening, from its previous capsule, which could be done manually with tweezers.
El laser provides more security in size and accuracy, a significant advantage when implanting multifocal lenses.
Manual capsulorexis with tweezers.
Femtosecond laser capsulorexis.
Emulsification
The last application of Femtosecond laser in cataract operation is in emulsification of the same, that is, when the softer tissue returns so that it can be better aspirated.
Until now, this intervention is performed with ultrasound, which can induce some inflammation and maneuvers inside the eye entail some risk, especially for those surgeons who are novice or less skilled.
On the other hand, no statistically significant differences were found in the visual result or in the recovery time of patients undergoing cataract surgery with or without laser. And its decreased complications tampoco is relevant to experienced surgeons.
For these reasons, in addition to the high cost of a femtosecond laser, it is not currently a widespread procedure that is routinely performed in cataract surgery.
Laser cataract surgery is especially useful in cases where you want to reduce the astigmatism taking advantage of the intervention, or in special cases such as patients with a narrow anterior chamber, although always as a complement to ultrasound.
After fifteen years of research in Área Oftalmológica Avanzada, we can say then that the application of the laser in cataract surgery is already a reality, and its use is especially recommended in complicated cases since it facilitates surgical maneuvers and ensures the success of the intervention.
But the indication for the use of the femtosecond laser will depend, in any case, on what the surgeon considers.
Is laser cataract surgery better?
Studies conducted with this technology show that there is no significant improvement in the results obtained with the laser compared to the current technique of micropulsed ultrasound and microincisions in a cataract operationHowever, we are aware that technology is always ahead.
The fact that these first teams are available allows the most imaginative and skilled surgeons can go modifying the technique until you reach the point that yes it is really advantageous with respect to the previous one, as has always happened in the history of science.
After a transition process where it is sought how to improve the weakest aspects of a technique, the improvements that are implemented and generalized appear, repeating this cycle uninterruptedly.
El femtosecond laser in cataract surgery will represent a very important advance when, most likely, it will end up being perfected. However, today, it does not provide added value in most cases of cataracts.
Regardless of technology, the most important thing is to be under the amphoop of a good surgeon, an experienced professional who knows how to resolve all situations, foreseen and unforeseen, that may arise in each surgery.
En Área Oftalmológica Avanzada We have been researching and improving the operation of laser cataracts for years. We have the most advanced equipment and we take care to apply the most appropriate techniques in each specific case to ensure the best vision in our patients. Contact us if you need more information, we will gladly assist you.
