Technological progress is an amazing thing, especially in the medical field. Without progress, we wouldn’t be walking around safe in the knowledge that we’re not going to come down with smallpox anytime soon.

The same can be said for eye health. Recent breakthroughs allow for incredible precision and safer results when correcting the natural deficiencies of the eye.

Let’s take a look at one of the most recent—and encouraging—breakthroughs of the past decade: Femtosecond lasers in cataract procedures.

The old way

Restoring clear vision in cataracts patients involves removing the old, clouded lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. In the past, this was accomplished through an incision created by the surgeon.

Because every eye is unique, a detailed map of the eye had to be made prior to the surgery. All of this (the mapping and the incision) was performed manually.

The new way

Femtosecond lasers provide new levels of accuracy, precision, and safety in cataract procedures. First, the maps of the eye are created using advanced high-resolution imaging technology, using a technique called integrated optical coherence tomography, or OCT.

These images provide a level of detail not previously available. Precise specifications as to the size, depth, and curvature of the cornea are recorded, and are used to attain precise results during the procedure.

Femtosecond lasers also eliminate the need for manual incisions. Using data obtained in the high-resolution map created prior to the procedure, the laser uses near-infrared light to perform the incision with startling accuracy. Then, the laser is again used to safely break up the old lens, preparing it for removal. Afterward, the new, cataract-free lens is inserted.

The future is now

There is no instrument of the body more delicate than the eye. Past procedures, though, treated the eye as just another organ. Finally, technology is beginning to match the intricate and delicate nature of the eye with advanced tools that make cataract procedures more precise, more effective, and above all, much safer.

Of course, even advanced tools only account for so much without the expertise to use them safely and effectively. As always, it’s vital to trust the health of your eyes to an experienced expert. At Boutique Eye Orlando, Dr. Brian Haas is a leading expert on the use of Femtosecond laser technology, having performed dozens of surgeries.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cataracts, or think you might have them, schedule an appointment with Dr. Haas. A clearer, crisper view of your world is closer than you think.

ABOUT DR. BRIAN HAAS

Dr. Haas as has served on the teaching faculties of Bethesda Naval Hospital and the USF Medical School in Tampa. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at UCF Medical School in Orlando. From 1999 to 2009 Dr Haas served 5 consecutive terms as the department chairman of ophthalmology at Orlando Health. In 2012 he was selected by US News and World Report magazine as one of the top ophthalmologists in the country.