A femtosecond laser emits 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,” explains the Ocular Inflammation & Immunology Department from Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), a member of the SingHealth group.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery offers an incremental level of accuracy and predictability over the current cataract surgery by phacoemulsification (using ultrasound technology). “It has the potential to make the procedure even safer with visual outcomes to match patient needs,” says the Ocular Inflammation & Immunology Department.

1. Reduced risk of intraoperative complications, especially in more complicated forms of cataract.
2. The laser system allows for highly accurate positioning and centering of the artificial intraocular lens, reducing optical aberrations and refractive errors.
3. More predictable surgery by using laser to perform some of the manual steps of surgery.
4. The small curved patient interface of the laser prevents flattening of the cornea and the pressure sensors moderate excessive pressure on the eye to prevent vision “blackout” during the laser procedure.
5. Real time “live” imaging which tracks the progress of the procedure and gives real time feedback of eye images to the surgeon during the entire surgical process. This provides an added level of safety to patients.
6. Lens fragmentation by laser reduces the amount of ultrasound energy used during phacoemulsification. This lowers the risk of capsule complications and corneal injury.
7. The laser system reduces phacoemulsification power by 43 per cent and results in a 51 per cent reduction in effective phacoemulsification time.
8. Due to a stronger capsule, it has the potential to reduce the risk of capsular tear and intraoperative complications during cataract surgery.

Ref: L20