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J U N E 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
Femtosecond lasers are gen-
erating plenty of buzz in
ophthalmic circles thanks to
the promise of improving
the accuracy, precision and
safety of cataract surgery.
Results with the laser have
been outstanding for oph-
thalmologist Paul Koch, MD,
the founder of Koch Eye
Associates, who partnered
with an outsourcing company to bring the technology to his Warwick, R.I., facility.
The laser provides predictability in the size, shape and diameter of the capsu-
lorhexis, leading to potentially better IOL placement for improved refractive out-
comes. It also softens the diseased lens so less ultrasound energy is needed during
phacoemulsification. Dr. Koch says the laser improves his ability to predict the effec-
tive position for the lens implant and lets him hit targeted refraction more than he
used to with manual techniques. He says an eye done with the laser at day 1 post-
op looks like a manual eye 1 week after surgery.
"But the big thing, and the thing that I think is underestimated the most," he
says, "is less agita." For those of you without an Italian mother, that's slang for
heartburn.
"Every time you sit down to operate, you hope the procedure goes well, but
you're never 100% certain that it will," says Dr. Koch. "With the laser, my agita has
plummeted, because so many steps have been done exactly and you know the
cataract will fall apart easily. From the surgeon's point of view, it's a much calmer
operation." — Daniel Cook
CLINICAL NOTES
Less Agita With Laser Cataracts
z PRECISE CUTS Femtosecond
lasers are said to produce more
predictable
refractive outcomes.
