Dr. Lehmann breaks down what Glaucoma is and the treatments for it.
Transcription
Speaker 1: One of the most recent advancements in cataract surgery has been the introduction of the refractive cataract laser. Because of this advancement, you now have options when it comes to choosing the type of cataract surgery that will best meet your vision needs. You can choose between either a manual cataract procedure or an all-laser cataract procedure with the advanced technology of the LENSAR Laser System.
Speaker 1: During cataract surgery, the clouded lens of the eye or cataract is removed and replaced with an artificial interocular lens or IOL. A LENSAR laser cataract procedure replaces the use of blades and other instrumentation used in manual surgery with a laser, allowing your surgeon to provide you with the most advanced cataract procedure available.
Speaker 1: While many people believe that lasers have always been used in cataract surgery, their use in cataract surgery is a recent advancement. The LENSAR Laser System’s advanced augmented reality imaging system provides your surgeon with a detailed 3-D view of your eye. This allows for more detailed information and treatment choices during your cataract removal procedure. Additionally, this 3-D image allows your surgeon to tailor the treatment to you, which may improve your visual outcome. By using the precision and accuracy of a laser during many of the critical steps in cataract surgery, LENSAR offers you the most advanced cataract procedure available today.
Speaker 1: In manual cataract surgery, the cataract removal is done with the use of blades and other handheld instrumentation. In the first step, the surgeon uses a blade to make incisions in the cornea, the outermost layer of the eye. This allows the surgeon to access the inside of the eye to remove your cataract. The placement and size of these incisions can affect a visual outcome, so it is important that these incisions are made with accuracy and precision.
Speaker 1: The next step in cataract surgery is called capsulorhexis. During manual cataract surgery, the surgeon uses a handheld instrument to cut and gently create a circular opening in the sack that holds the lens, called the capsular bag or lens capsule. This provides the surgeon with access to the cataract. Capsulorhexis is a critical step in cataract surgery because it can affect how an implanted IOL will be positioned in the capsule. If the capsulorhexis is not done with a high level of accuracy, the position of the lens may not be ideal, which may lead to a less than optimal vision outcome.
Speaker 1: After capsulorhexis, the next step in cataract surgery is phacoemulsification or phaco. During manual cataract surgery using phaco, the cataract is manually broken up into many small pieces in preparation for its removal. An instrument called a chopper may be used first to break up the lens into a few large pieces. Then the phaco instrument is used to break up the lens using ultrasonic energy.
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Once the lens has been broken up or fragmented, it is removed using suction and an IOL is placed into the capsule. The amount of ultrasonic energy can affect the recovery process and visual outcome, because too much ultrasonic energy released during this step may cause damage to the cells and tissue inside the eye.
Speaker 1: In LENSAR laser-assisted cataract surgery, the blades used in manual surgery are replaced with a precise and accurate laser, which also helps to minimize or eliminate the need for ultrasonic energy to break up the lens. In a LENSAR laser-assisted cataract procedure, the capsulorhexis is created first. Guided by LENSAR detailed image, the surgeon accurately places the laser spots in a circular pattern to create the opening in the capsule. Because the LENSAR laser allows for such accuracy during capsulorhexis, positioning of the new lens can be optimized, which may lead to an improved vision outcome.
Speaker 1: The next step in the LENSAR laser-assisted cataract procedure is to fragment the cataract into small pieces. LENSAR does this very efficiently, which reduces the amount of time and ultrasonic energy needed to further break up the cataract before it can be removed. In some cases, LENSAR has entirely eliminated the need for ultrasound energy. This reduction in ultrasonic energy released into the eye may reduce the risk of certain complications and may potentially speed up healing time.
Speaker 1: The last step of the LENSAR laser-assisted cataract procedure is the creation of corneal incisions. The surgeon is guided during this step by another unique imaging feature of the LENSAR laser called intelligent incisions. Intelligent incisions allows for the incisions to be made with accuracy and precision and can contribute to the quality of the vision outcome. Following the LENSAR laser-assisted cataract surgery, the cataract is removed and the IOL is placed inside the capsule. Because LENSAR fragments the cataract so efficiently, a LENSAR laser cataract procedure may reduce the amount of time it takes to remove the cataract during this step.
Speaker 1: By choosing LENSAR laser-assisted cataract surgery, you are choosing the most advanced cataract procedure possible. So you can rest assured knowing you have the latest technology available to treat one of your most valuable senses, your sight. Ask your eye surgeon about how you can add the LENSAR laser system to your cataract procedure.
