The Femtosecond Laser Platform was launched in Europe in September 2011 and received its first FDA approval for use during refractive eye surgery in July 2012. The Femtosecond is a multiple-use femtosecond laser system and is cleared for these steps in laser cataract surgery: arcuate corneal incisions, anterior lens capsulotomy, and lens fragmentation. Lakeland Eye Clinic is the only Ophthalmology practice in the area to offer the Femtosecond Laser cataract surgery.

In traditional cataract surgery, the surgeon uses a hand-held metal or diamond blade to create an incision in the area where the sclera meets the cornea. The goal in creating this incision is to go a partial depth vertically, then go horizontally in the cornea about 2.5 mm and then enter into the eye. Then the surgeon can break up and remove the cataract, which is located right behind the pupil. Next an intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted and implanted, to replace the cloudy natural lens.

The reason cataract incisions are created in a two- or three-plane fashion is so they will self-seal when surgery is complete, allowing for a no-stitch approach.

With the Femtosecond laser approach to cataract surgery, Dr. Dorsett creates a precise surgical plan with a sophisticated 3-D image of the eye called an OCT (optical coherence tomography). The goal is to create an incision with a specific location, depth and length in all planes, and with the OCT image and a femtosecond laser, it can be performed exactly without the limitations of a human hand.

Also, The laser pre-softens the cataract, allowing Dr. Dorsett to minimize the use of ultrasound energy to remove the cataract lens. Decreased usage of ultrasound energy reduces the chances of thermal injury to tissues inside the eye, which lessens recovery time.

Additionally, Astigmatism correction can be done at the time of cataract surgery using this laser as opposed to a manual incision using a surgical blade with traditional surgery. Astigmatism requires patients to wear glasses after cataract surgery. Correcting this at the time of cataract surgery lessens the needs for glasses subsequently.

Femtosecond Laser cataract surgery offers the patient a greater level of precision and a greater level of customization. Patients benefit from a truly innovative solution that allows for customization in cataract surgery that was previously unattainable.

Our patients benefit from a truly innovative solution that allows for customization in cataract surgery. A bladeless, computer-controlled laser allows the surgeon to plan and perform your surgery to exact individualized specifications, not attainable with past cataract surgery methods.

The precise, reproducible steps performed by the laser mean better lens positioning, less trauma to the eye, and more predictable visual results.

Our eyes can be compared to snowflakes. While all human eyes share the same basic anatomical structure, every eye is just a bit different in terms of size, depth, curvature of the cornea and other key features. Which is why every eye must be carefully measured and mapped prior to cataract surgery.

While these measurements have been routinely performed prior to surgery, the Femtosecond laser uses a range of highly-advanced technologies – including integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) – to capture incredibly precise, high resolution images of your eyes.

These images – and the measurements and data they provide – are then used to plan and perform a surgery to exacting specifications not attainable with traditional surgery.

The simple answer is the incision. When it is made with a human hand guiding a blade, there are limitations. But a laser can make a perfect zigzag incision that interlocks precisely and improves the chance of self-sealing, and this is an advancement over traditional manual technology.

Although traditional cataract surgery is considered to be one of the safest and most successful procedures performed in medicine today. This technological breakthrough has significantly improved the precision of several of the most critical steps in cataract surgery. With laser cataract surgery, the doctors at Lakeland Eye Clinic will customize your procedure to your eye’s unique characteristics, resulting in more predictable outcomes while potentially making cataract surgery even safer.

In a word …Yes.  Especially with advanced intraocular lenses that provide good vision without glasses after cataract surgery, it is important that the surgery results in minimal astigmatism. Examples of these advanced lenses are presbyopia-correcting multifocal IOLs and accommodating IOLs. Because astigmatism involves the cornea being more curved in one axis than the other (like a football shape), incisions can be used in the more curved axis to reduce the astigmatism so the cornea has a rounder shape (like a basketball). The procedure is called astigmatic keratotomy or AK.

During refractive laser-assisted cataract surgery, the OCT image can be used to plan the AK incisions in a very precise location, length and depth, and then the laser accurately creates them. Since the laser minimizes the variables involved, the AK procedure becomes more accurate and reproducible.

Surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis in our own Central Florida Surgical Center located at  900 Griffin Road, Lakeland FL 33805. You will be given dilating eye drops, an eye drop anesthesic, and perhaps medications to help you relax to make your cataract removal virtually painless. Because your pupil will still be dilated after surgery, your eyesight may be somewhat blurry but will gradually improve over the next few hours and days.

After a short stay in the outpatient recovery area, you will be ready to go home. You are required to have someone drive you home and you should plan to have a responsible adult remain with you for a few hours following surgery.