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O P H T H A L M O L O G Y
cataract surgery. In fact, the detour may even slow you down. Dr.
Piazza says lasers result in a threefold increase in total surgery time
compared to manual surgery — Dr. Wang concedes the burgeoning
technology is not yet overly efficient, but claims he can achieve comparable overall case times — which he doesn't consider progress
when both methods achieve similar post-op results.
"Do patients with laser-created incisions see better than those with
manually-created incisions?" asks Dr. Piazza. "So far, the answer is no."
Looking ahead
Dr. Wang believes lasers' hefty price tags will decrease as more generations of the technology are developed, much like today's widespread
availability of smartphones compared to the first absurdly basic cell
phones that cost much more. He also believes you have to invest in the
future of cataract surgery. "The fundamental difference between femtosecond laser and the manual blade is like the transformation from
analog to digital," he says. "It's not just better. It's entirely different."
Why is backing a fundamental change so important, according to Dr.
Wang? "Because then you have unlimited potential to develop the technology further. Manual cataract surgery is maxed out. It's basically as
good as it's going to get."
He says 95% of surgeons focus on the traditional goal of cataract
surgery — removing the cataract. "The other 5% also want to optimize the patient's vision to near perfection. That's an entirely difN O V E M B E R 2012 | 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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