Cataracts

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Cataract Symptom Checker

Cloudy or blurry vision
Trouble seeing at night
Light and glare sensitivity
Seeing “halos” around lights
Fading or yellowing of colors
Double vision

Femtosecond Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery is one of the most performed surgical procedures in the United States. There are approximately 4 million cases per year in the USA. The procedure removes the lens of the eye which becomes cloudy with age and replaces it with an artificial lens to help restore vision.

Femtosecond Laser Assisted cataract surgery or femtosecond cataract surgery is a type of cataract surgery. If you have been told that you have a “dense” cataract or Fuchs’ dystrophy (or cornea endothelial dysfunction), femtosecond laser cataract surgery may help reduce the ultrasound energy needed to remove your cataract during traditional cataract surgery.

The laser assists the surgeon in many crucial steps of cataract surgery. The laser can be used to break up the cataract into smaller pieces allowing “gentler” removal of the pieces which can reduce cornea swelling and surgical time. In addition, the laser can correct mild astigmatism by creating partial incisions on the eye at a precise depth and location which can improve vision after the surgery.

Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery

Laser creates precise cornea incisions for treatment mild astigmatism and incisions on the cornea.
Laser creates a precise circular opening of predetermined size in the bag which holds the natural lens.
Laser divides the cataract into smaller pieces which then the surgeon removes through an ultrasound probe.

Traditional Cataract Surgery

Surgeon manually creates corneal incisions.
Surgeon manually creates an opening in the bag which holds the natural lens.
Surgeon uses ultrasound energy to break up the cataract into smaller pieces for removal.

Chart Illustrating Cataract Surgery With a Manual Blade vs Cataract Surgery With a Laser

Premium Intraocular Lens (IOL)

These modern lenses are FDA approved to help you see at different distances without the need for glasses, thus reducing your dependency on glasses.

These lenses can help correct for astigmatism (an eye condition where the shape of the eye is an oval or egg-shaped) and presbyopia (the need for reading glasses).

For example, Brian is a 62-year-old general contractor, who is scheduled for cataract surgery, he is considering his IOL options. He has some moderate astigmatism so without glasses, he sees a lot of glare and halo at night driving, and he needs reading glasses to see the blueprint at work. In his case, an extended depth of focus and or multifocal IOL are good options for him as he would like to see better for distance and near.