Both laser cataract surgery and traditional
cataract surgery procedures can provide patients with excellent vision in a
safe and effective manner. We constantly strive to provide cataract patients
with even greater degrees of safety, precision and reproducibility during their
cataract operation. Any time we can make an eye surgery procedure gentler,
there are benefits to patients. Lasercataract surgery allows us to replace a number of manual steps with surgeon
controlled laser precision as well as helping us reduce the energy levels
required to fragment and break down the cloudy lens material that has formed
the cataract.
One of the observations and indicators of
“gentleness” of cataract surgery procedures is the effect the operation has on
the inside layer of the cornea-called the endothelium. Quantifying corneal
endothelial cell loss is a good yardstick. Researchers reporting in the Journal
of Cataract & Refractive Surgery compared the amount of corneal endothelial cell
loss between traditional cataract surgery and laser cataract surgery. One eye
of each patient had “traditional” cataract surgery and the other eye had
femtosecond laser cataract surgery-and both eye had lens implants.
The results showed that the eyes having laser
cataract surgery had considerably less endothelial cell loss-and thus
demonstrated having a gentler cataract surgery procedure. This is important for
not only routine cataract surgery in healthy eyes, but would be especially
beneficial for eyes that were at greater risk of endothelial cell loss because
they had low endothelial cell counts to begin with or even some preexisting
condition such as “cornea guttata”-tiny droplets on the back surface of the
cornea-which can indicate a weakening of the corneal transparency mechanism and
are a precursor of Fuchs Corneal Endothelial Dystrophy.
If you or someone you know has
questions or concerns about cataracts, cataract surgery, lens implants and how
to reduce your risk of cataracts or other eye diseases please, call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in
Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.
Doctor & Associates is a
leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North,
Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and
148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.
