As you get older, proteins in the lenses of your eyes may start to clump, becoming translucent and diffusing the light that reaches your retinas. Over time, your vision becomes cloudy and indistinct; without treatment, developing cataracts can eventually lead to blindness.
Laser cataract surgery is one of the most common and safest surgeries performed today, and the most advanced procedural method uses femtosecond lasers to increase the precision and minimize the surgical impact of your experience.
For those living in Midtown Manhattan, choosing ophthalmologist Dr. Randa Garrana of Advanced Lasik is the obvious choice. As one of the top 1% of eye surgeons across the country, Dr. Garrana practices in Midtown East, New York, as well as Duarte and Long Beach, California.
So, why laser cataract surgery? We’ll go in depth on the procedure and technique in this month’s blog, with five of the major advantages the “laser approach” has to offer.
Femtosecond lasers deliver extremely short bursts of energy to perform incredibly precise surgical incisions in a time that’s shorter than it takes for heat from the laser to affect neighboring tissue. Only the tissue necessary for cataract surgery is vaporized to micron-level precision.
Incisions are necessary to remove cloudy natural lens tissue. Advanced laser techniques introduce less damage to healthy tissue than conventional surgery, improving the efficiency of the procedure while providing a better overall patient experience.
Laser cataract surgery is minimally invasive. Anytime a surgery can be performed blade-free, the risks associated with the procedure are minimized. In particular, healing times improve and the risk of infection falls.
The precision of the femtosecond laser requires diagnostic measurements that are equally precise. This, in turn, gives Dr. Garrana greater control over your procedure, with the potential for customizing the surgical process to your unique eye anatomy.
Ask us about your options for premium intraocular lenses (IOLs), the replacements for your cloudy natural versions. Now, more than ever, these can be chosen with your eyes in mind.
Since cataract surgery replaces your natural lenses with IOLs, you may have options that reduce your dependence on glasses or contacts. Much depends on your corrective lens prescription and the condition of your eyes.
You can address simple refractive errors (nearsightedness and farsightedness) with any type of cataract surgery for a single focal distance. You’ll still rely on glasses some of the time.
Toric IOLs can correct for astigmatism, but these require the precision of laser cataract surgery to provide the accurate placement of the IOL. In some cases, small laser incisions can relax the shape of the cornea, easing the effects of mild astigmatism. Both of these add-ons can be done at the time of your laser cataract procedure.
For more information on the benefits of advanced laser cataract surgery at Advanced Lasik in Midtown East, New York, schedule a consultation at our East 55th Street office today.
