Are There Advantages to Choosing Laser Cataract Surgery?

Recent advances in cataract surgery have opened up many exciting possibilities for those ready for the procedure. Whatever option you choose, you won’t have to live with compromised vision anymore due to the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. 

At Berg-Feinfield, you can choose between traditional cataract surgery and computer-assisted laser cataract surgery. Your eye surgeon can help guide you in your decision-making. 

Keep reading to learn about the advantages of choosing laser cataract surgery!

Advancement in Cataract Surgery

While traditional cataract surgery is safe and effective, laser cataract surgery enables eye surgeons to turn to precision optics and electronics when performing portions of this incredibly delicate procedure.

Traditional Cataract surgery: Step by Step

In traditional cataract surgery, your eye surgeon will make a small incision in your cornea to access your clouded natural lens. The surgeon does this by hand with a special tool.

Next, they will insert a small instrument through this opening into the capsule. The capsule is behind the pupil and is like a bag to hold the cloudy lens. 

A pen-shaped probe uses ultrasound to break up the cloudy lens. Then, your cataract surgeon removes those fragments by suction, and insert a new artificial intraocular lens, or IOL.

The incisions are so small that they are self-healing.

Laser Cataract Surgery: Step by Step

In laser cataract surgery, a camera or ultrasound device maps the surface of the eye and the lens. The information uploads to a computer that programs the laser to make customized incisions with a high degree of precision. 

The laser assists your cataract surgeon when creating the corneal incision, the round opening in the capsule, and softening the cataract. The remainder of the procedure is similar to traditional cataract surgery: ultrasound breaks up the lens, which is then suctioned out, and the IOL is inserted. 

Again, these extremely small incisions are self-healing. 

What Computerized Mapping Offers

The advantage of laser cataract surgery is greater precision. The surgeon can better assess the lens capsule through mapping. 

The placement of the opening in your cornea is more exact, which makes it easier to place and center the IOL. If you’re choosing a premium lens during cataract surgery that gives you distance and intermediate vision, this placement is especially important. 

Precision with Every Incision

Laser cataract surgery enables cataract surgeons to make precise incisions in a shorter amount of time with greater accuracy and consistency. And with the capability of softening the lens, your cataract surgeon will need less ultrasound energy to break up the cloudy lens.

The Femtosecond LenSX

At Berg-Feinfield Vision Correction, our cataract surgeons perform laser cataract surgery using the Femtosecond LenSx® Laser from Alcon, which is the next evolution in cataract surgery.

This technology makes image-guided surgery possible, improving the accuracy of each corneal and cataract incision. 

One-Millionth of One Billionth of a Second

The Femtosecond LensSx is an extremely short-pulsed, near-infrared laser. The time span is so incredibly brief that it’s measured in femtoseconds. A femtosecond a unit of time that equals one-millionth of one billionth of a second. 

The speed and precision of the femtosecond laser mean that the surrounding tissue in the eye is unaffected. This makes for a safer procedure and faster recovery.

Are you interested in learning more about Laser Cataract Surgery? Schedule a cataract evaluation at Berg-Feinfield in Burbank, CA, today!