6 Benefits of Laser Cataract Surgery with CATALYS®
May 17th, 2018
Through the process of aging, the clear lens in your eye grows cloudy, hardens, and eventually interferes with your ability to see. When you reach the point at which it affects your daily life, it’s time for cataract surgery.
The idea of surgery can feel intimidating. Few of us look forward to going “under the knife.” So the concept of laser surgery appeals to many cataract surgery patients because there is no “knife.” Instead, incisions are made with a concentrated beam of light. But “laser surgery” is a broad term as there are many choices. With so many different names of various laser technologies floating around, you’re not sure which one to choose. What’s the difference between them?
At the Huntsville office of Dr. Danny Lee, CATALYS® laser cataract surgery offers precision technology for your improved vision. Thanks to the technological ability to map the eye prior to surgery, every step is planned out in advance to minimize risk, make as few and as small incisions as possible, and ensure complete accuracy.
1. Surgery without blades or needles
The lens of the eye is surrounded by something called the capsule — a thin clear membrane. In all forms of cataract surgery, an opening has to be made in the capsule to enter the eye and remove the cloudy lens. In traditional cataract surgery, that opening is made using a small needle which cuts into the capsule and then tears an area of tissue to gain access, creating a tiny circle. With the CATALYS® system, pulses of intensely-focused laser light are used instead of a needle, offering much greater precision.
2. 3D imaging and mapping
Your eye is unique — its size and shape are like no other. Your treatment plan should be equally unique and specific. With the CATALYS® advanced 3D imaging technology, we’re able to build a three-dimensional map of your eye. Using that map as a guide, Dr. Lee can create a customized treatment plan that’s tailored to your individual needs.
3. Greater accuracy of surgical cuts
When CATALYS® is used, clinical studies have shown that the circular opening created in the capsule of the eye is approximately 10 times more accurate than what’s possible when operating by hand.
4. Gentler and easier cataract removal
In traditional cataract surgery, an ultrasonic device is inserted in the eye to break up the hardened lens. Ultrasonic energy can build up during the procedure which may possibly burn the incision area. In CATALYS® laser surgery, there is no heat build-up as there is no ultrasound used; the same laser that makes the incision is used to soften and break up the hard cataract lens into tiny fragments which are then removed from the eye.
5. Suture-free incisions
The fine incisions that laser surgery produces are not only small but self-sealing. That means when surgery is done, there’s no need for stitches and no need to suture or “sew” the incisions closed.
6. Faster visual recovery
With such clean, precise incisions, surgery done with the CATALYS® laser reduces the risk of infection and speeds healing.
Is CATALYS® laser surgery right for you? Contact us for an appointment and discuss the possibility with a Laser Eye Center professional to learn more. Don’t live with poor vision longer than you have to. It’s time to get back your clear, sharp sight.
