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The technology is very new to the world. Centre For Sight is one of the firsts to introduce this technology now.
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The femtosecond laser technology that brought new levels of safety, accuracy and predictability to LASIK surgery is also advancing cataract surgery. This minimizes discomfort to the patient. They can walk in and walk out. The results are immediately. It is safe. They can get quality vision.
Femtosecond lasers emit optical pulses of extremely short duration in the domain of femtoseconds, as short as one-quadrillionth of a second (10-15 sec). With these ultra-short pulses, tissue can be cut more precisely and with practically no heat development. The femtosecond laser is thus a highly accurate surgical laser which can be used in high precision ocular microsurgery.
Femtosecond laser technique is the most advanced technology for correction of cataract and refractive errors, being the safest and the best out of all techniques available to treat these problems. With this technique, which is approved by FDA, use of a blade to give an incision is totally circumvented. Apart from being blade less, this technique also offers a totally prick less, painless, bloodless, stitch less and a bandage less solution to the patient, he said.
Speaking further he added that the advent of Femtosecond Laser technology is a great boon for the cataract patients. Enlightening on the modality and the procedure, Dr. Bansal explained that there is a natural lens inside our eye. When that lens becomes cloudy & vision starts getting impaired, Cataract is said to have occurred. Cataract can only be removed by surgery. Over the years cataract surgery has evolved from a vision “restorative” surgery to a “refractive” surgery- aiming to provide enhanced visual outcomes and reduce or eliminate the patients’ dependence on glasses.
Till now the traditional Phacoemulsification stitch less cataract surgery has been a manual technique where in cuts were made onto cornea using a hand held blade. The surgical instruments are inserted into the eye through these incisions. A manual round opening (capsulorrhexis) is then made in the membrane around the cataract. An ultrasound probe is used to break the old, cloudy lens into pieces and removed those pieces from the eye. This is followed by the insertion of an intraocular lens(IOL) to replace the natural lens.
The femtosecond laser aims to covert this manual, multi-step, multi- tool procedure to one with laser created, computer controlled precision. The critical high resolution eye image mapping and measurements that are used to plan & perform the surgery to exact specifications are not attainable with traditional surgery. In Femtosecond, each & every aspect of cataract surgery is automatically programmed and monitored by the computer.
The innovative Femtosecond laser technology allows the creation of corneal incisions and capsulorrhexis with computer guided laser controlled precision. The laser also fragments the cataract into tiny pieces which can then be safely removed by the surgeon.
While cataract surgeons are doing a good job now, this technology introduces the ability to be more consistent. FEMTO laser technology has the potential to, in the simplest of terms; help automate many of the crucial steps of surgery- a safer operation to improve outcomes. An assurance of greater accuracy.
Centre for Sight, Hyderabad has already been offering fenmtosecond laser technology to treat refractive errors. Mainly two techniques are used for this purpose: First is Femto second lasik or also know as bladeless lasik, where the surgery is done using two lasers namely femtosecond laser and excimer laser. The second technique being offered at this centre is called SMILE, which is the most advanced laser refractive surgery available in the world and very few centres in the world can boast of this technology. This technique is a single laser procedure and a lot of problems associated with conventional procedures like lasik are circumvented because no flap is made in this technique and also no burning of tissue is carried out.
Dr.Bansal also stated that CFS has always strived to offer the very best to its patients and has been at the forefront of bringing in the latest medical inventions to Indian ophthalmology space, and the introduction of Femtosecond is a just one of many humble testimonials towards that resolve.
CFS was the first one to introduce Femtosecond Laser Technology in the entire South East Asia region about 5 years ago for Lasik Laser. This laser technology has been modified and upgraded to be used for Femtosecond laser assisted cataract screening.
All in all, the presence of such state-of-the-art, cutting edge technology like Femtosecond augurs well for the Indian populace and is sure to set new benchmarks with respect to clinical excellence in eye care.
