Cataract surgery is one of the most common and successful treatments for restoring vision. While traditional cataract surgery is widely used and usually successful, laser-assisted cataract surgery offers some extra benefits. Laser cataract surgery is a more precise and accurate procedure that can reduce postoperative corneal swelling and result in faster vision restoration. The laser requires less energy to break up the cataract, which can lead to a decrease in postoperative corneal swelling.
This can also result in quicker vision restoration. Automating extraction using computer-aided lasers increases accuracy beyond the capabilities of human hands. Before the procedure, the eye doctor will use a camera and sophisticated computer programs to map the eye. Based on this information, the laser will know exactly where to cut and how deeply.
Patients, who rarely need general anesthesia for these procedures, may feel more relaxed knowing that a laser is performing the cut. The eye care community has a broader view of the advantages and disadvantages of laser cataract surgery. Following the steps of the laser, the fragments of the cataract are still removed with the same probe used in traditional surgery and, in both procedures, an intraocular lens is inserted.Conventional cataract surgery is an extremely common and effective procedure that tends to be less expensive than the laser-assisted approach. However, laser-assisted cataract surgery offers some advantages that traditional cataract surgery does not. The laser approach can precisely create the incisions needed for surgery and can also soften the cataract itself to make it easier to remove it.
People who have particularly hard cataracts may also benefit from the laser-assisted approach, as the laser can be used to soften the cataract before using the ultrasound probe to separate it. In traditional cataract surgery, incisions in the cornea to access the cataract are made with a single-use portable diamond blade. Combining corrected astigmatism with laser-assisted cataract surgery can mean you'll be able to see better than you've in years or decades. For patients, laser cataract surgery has few drawbacks, other than higher costs due to more advanced technology. It's important to do your research when looking for an eye doctor to perform your laser-assisted cataract surgery. Regardless of which cataract surgery you choose, the surgeon will replace the lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).In most industrialized countries, traditional cataract surgery is still the most commonly performed surgical procedure.
Kellogg surgeons and staff are available to talk to patients to determine if this new surgical option is right for them and to discuss any potential risks associated with cataract surgery. While traditional cataract surgery is generally performed smoothly, there may be some risks.
