The Truth About Laser Cataract Surgery – Helm Vision Group

Modern cataract surgery in skilled hands is a wonderful procedure! It’s generally quick and painless and results in improved vision. Mild intravenous sedation is given to relax you, the eye is numbed with eye drops, and a gentle spring is placed to keep the eyelids open. A tiny incision is made in the cornea and a circular opening is made in the capsule that surrounds the cloudy lens (cataract) located behind the pupil. A probe which delivers ultrasonic energy is used to break up a cataract and vacuum it out. A lens implant is then injected into this position through a small tube. The eye typically self-seals.
In recent years, lasers have been developed to assist in cataract surgery. This is called “femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery or FLACS. This laser is used to make the incision in the cornea, make the circular opening in the lens capsule and cut radial grooves in the cataract itself. The ultrasonic probe is then used to break up and remove the pieces of cataract. When the cataract is dense or advanced, FLACS can make it easier to remove, thus resulting in less swelling of the cornea and quicker visual recovery by a few days or perhaps a week.
Helm Vision Group has the most state-of-the-art laser for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with the Z8 Ziemer laser, manufactured in Switzerland. If you need cataract surgery, would you benefit from it? There have been multiple clinical studies performed to determine if FLACS provides safer or better clinical outcomes. These studies continue to show that FLACS does not provide better outcomes, and overall, does not improve the safety of surgery. Then why use it? I recommend it for advanced cataracts because it makes the surgery easier and I believe somewhat safer in difficult cases. But as a skilled and experienced surgeon (30 years), complications in my hands are less than a tenth of the national average. So generally, the laser does not add anything to your outcome when I do the surgery, unless your natural lens has weak support. However, some patients want the latest and greatest technology. If so, we have it right here in town. However, beware of any surgeon who tells you that you’d be foolish to not have FLACS or that he’ll “do it the old-fashioned way” if you wish. Neither private insurance companies nor Medicare pay for FLACS. It is an out-of-pocket expense which can be high and not truly beneficial to you.
For more information please contact Helm Vision Group 661-259-3937.