How Safe Is Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery Compared To Traditional Methods?

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Breakthroughs in medical science have led to a rapid shift in surgical procedures, with a particularly heavy emphasis on technology-assisted surgeries. Cataract operations, though already safe, quick and effective, have undergone a similar revolution using femtosecond-laser machines, but many patients are still worried about entrusting their vision to a computer armed with lasers. If you need surgery to recover your sight but have reservations about laser-assisted cataract surgery, read on to gain a better understanding of the safety risks and benefits of this procedure. 

Understanding Traditional and Laser-Assisted Techniques

Traditional cataract surgery is a relatively simple operation and one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. The surgeon in this case creates a small incision in your eye before inserting a tiny device, which breaks down the cataract and allows the remaining pieces to be removed through the incision. The machine used in this situation is called a phacoemulsifier. During laser-assisted surgery, phacoemulsification still occurs, but the incisions are made by a femtosecond laser, which may also be used to break up the lens and soften it before removal. Lasers have been adopted in cataract surgery largely due to their accuracy; a laser's incision has been shown to cause less trauma to surrounding tissue than a traditional cut with a knife. 

Customizing Your Surgery

Besides offering a finer incision, advanced cataract surgery methods also allow your surgeon to personalize each operation. Digital scans of your eyes performed prior to the surgery give the surgical machine a clear understanding of the dimensions of your eye, including the exact location of your lens and cornea. This imaging can help tailor your surgery to the unique structure of your eye and the degree of severity of your cataracts, and it ensures that the lasers can target your cataracts with pin-point accuracy. 

Operating With Surgical Precision

These scientific advances can speed up procedures and make life easier for your surgeon, but are they really worth the risk when compared to traditional surgery? In fact, femtosecond laser-assisted surgeries were found to require less energy during the phacoemulsification phase, which can reduce damage to the rest of your eye and speed up the healing process. Furthermore, laser-assisted procedures have been demonstrated to carry no significant safety threats and produce better visual acuity six months after the operation. If you or your surgeon are more comfortable using old-fashioned techniques, you will probably still see satisfactory results. But the improved results and increased refinement associated with advanced cataract surgery mean it is now the preferred surgical method in the United States, and its popularity will only increase as further studies confirm its long-term safety and efficacy. Click here to learn more about cataract surgery.

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14 January 2016