How to treat cataract?
Cataract is a common blinding eye disease in China. At present, drug treatment has no definite effect, and surgery to remove the cloudy lens and place a suitable IOL is the only effective method. Since the 1970s, cataract surgery has been performed using ultrasound emulsification technology, which is now very mature. The surgeon only needs to make an incision of about 2-3 mm between the black eye and the white eye, and can use an ultrasound emulsion needle to break up and suck out the cloudy lens, and then implant an IOL, so that you can see something after the surgery. The wound can recover in about 3-4 weeks, and the surgery can be completed with just a little anesthetic.
Femtosecond Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery Femtosecond laser is the shortest laser with the shortest pulses, releasing energy in trillionths of a second, and like the Femtosecond laser for myopia correction (LASIK) surgery, the Femtosecond laser provides the safety and accuracy needed for cataract surgery.
Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract ultrasound mammography is a procedure that uses a femtosecond laser instead of a traditional scalpel to complete the key steps of incision, capsule tearing and nucleus splitting that are done manually in traditional ultrasound mammography under the direct vision of a computerized imaging system, avoiding manual operation errors, just like robotic surgery, thus making the surgery more precise, minimally invasive, safe and fast.
What are the advantages of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery?
Intelligent operation, minimally invasive and efficient: During traditional cataract ultrasound emulsification surgery, most of the operation steps rely on the operator’s manual completion, especially the use of scalpel to make incisions and manual tearing of the anterior lens capsule, which largely depends on the operator’s experience and skills, making it difficult to ensure the accuracy and integrity of its position. Intraoperative complications such as accidental tearing of the capsular tissue may occur, affecting other surgical operations and the placement of the artificial lens, thus affecting the quality of the patient’s postoperative vision. Femtosecond laser technology replaces the traditional cataract scalpel and most manual, unstable operations with a precise cut and near-perfect capsule tear after scanning the patient’s eye, reducing surgical trauma, improving post-operative visual quality and reducing surgical risk.
Precise and safe “no” damage: In cataract ultrasound emulsification surgery, the heat energy released from ultrasound energy can damage the cornea and iris and other intraocular tissues. The use of femtosecond laser to crush the lens nucleus reduces the use of ultrasound energy during surgery, thus reducing the damage to eye tissues and greatly reducing postoperative complications such as trauma, inflammation and infection.
Wide range of surgical adaptations: In the past, it was commonly said that cataracts could only be operated when they were long and ripe. Due to the safety, reliability and high precision of the new femtosecond laser technology, the comfort and satisfaction of patients have been greatly improved. As long as patients feel that their vision is not clear and affects their daily life, they can choose surgery. This avoids the long and painful process of patients going from blurred vision to blindness and the possibility of complications such as glaucoma and uveitis caused by overripe cataracts. In addition if the patient has astigmatism, highly accurate astigmatism correction can be performed at the same time as cataract surgery.
Restoration of perfect vision after surgery: The introduction of new high-end IOLs has basically satisfied cataract patients with various needs, but these high-end multifunctional IOLs require every step of the operation to be accurate. The errors brought by human operation limit the effect of these high-end multifunctional crystalline lenses to a certain extent. The whole process of femtosecond laser cataract treatment system is completed with the assistance of computerized scanning and imaging technology, which is more refined and perfect in terms of cutting shape and depth, making the implantation position of the IOL more accurate and centered, and can better meet the patients’ pursuit of perfect vision after surgery.
What are the shortcomings of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery?
“Femtosecond laser” is a high-end surgery, and the fee is relatively high, nearly 10,000 yuan more than traditional surgery, and some of the femtosecond laser surgery has not yet been included in the medical insurance, so it is more for patients who require high quality vision.
Femtosecond laser cannot complete all the steps of cataract surgery yet. It also requires the use of ultrasound emulsification to complete the aspiration of nuclear fragments and cortex.
Finally, a reminder: whether you choose traditional ultrasound emulsion surgery or the high-end femtosecond laser, you should first visit a specialized department for a comprehensive evaluation.