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O P H T H A L M O L O G Y
T
he first question that eye surgeons and facility administrators
must ask themselves with respect to laser cataract surgery is:
What are the practical applications and clinical advantages of
this technology? In short, what's in it for you and your patients?
• A precise process. Done by hand, cataract surgery involves a num-
ber of manual steps, including capsulotomy, the making of an incision
in the capsular bag to gain access to a cataract-clouded lens. Such delicate maneuvers are invariably variable in their size, shape and orientation, which may influence outcomes from one case to another. To a
large extent, laser-assisted surgery removes those variables, providing
controlled, consistent and nearly perfect cuts every time.
• A streamlined process. "It wasn't too long ago that ultrasound phaco
was the big new thing," remarks Robert P. Rivera, MD, director of clinical research at Hoopes Vision in Draper, Utah. Now that the femtosecond laser's ultra-short pulses can be used to quickly and effectively soften and fragment the nucleus of a cataract, many physicians
are finding their need for phacoemulsification energy during a case
reduced or even eliminated. "It allows you to get away from phacoemulsification altogether," says Dr. Rivera, who describes a slate of
cases in which he used "zero phaco" for 8 consecutive cataracts.
"Without any is just remarkable, a huge step forward."
• The best possible outcomes. Ideally, the ability to replicate the technique will let physicians fine-tune other factors and replicate results.
"A precision capsulotomy, the same every time, takes that variability
F E B R U A R Y 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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