Laser Vs Standard Cataract Surgery

Not all cataract surgery is done by a laser these days.

Laser vs standard cataract surgery.

Laser assisted blade free cataract surgery both reduces the number of instruments used and increases the precision of the procedure. It is recognized as being safe and effective. Laser cataract surgery also called refractive laser assisted cataract surgery relacs is an advanced type of cataract surgery that uses femtosecond laser technology to bring a new level of precision and accuracy to specific steps in cataract surgery that traditionally have been performed with hand held surgical tools. During laser assisted cataract surgery your doctor typically uses the laser to make all incisions and to soften the cataract for removal by ultrasound phacoemulsification.

Traditional cataract surgery is one of the most common surgeries in the world. One in three mostly older americans will have the surgery at some point in their lives. In laser cataract surgery a laser is used to make the incision and lens opening explained dr. Laser or advanced cataract surgery will provide the same outcome as traditional cataract surgery but the difference is in the tools used and overall method.

Laser cataract surgery usually is performed when a premium presbyopia correcting or astigmatism correcting iol is implanted. Medicare pays the same amount toward cataract surgery whether a surgeon conducts it with or without a laser. Laser cataract surgery more than 1 5 million cataract surgeries are performed annually in the u s. The laser may be useful when correcting for astigmatism aligning an astigmatism correcting intraocular lens or softening a dense cataract.

In addition some types of cataract lenses must be implanted with laser surgery. Ultrasound waves break the cataract into tiny pieces which are then removed. Laser surgery for cataracts is the removal of a lens that has a cataract followed by replacement of the lens in the eye with an artificial prescription lens. A standard cataract surgery may not be able to address that shape issue but it can be addressed with laser surgery.

However laser surgery has a higher cost and is used for those who have astigmatism and. It costs more than traditional cataract surgery as well. Laser cataract surgery is not covered by most insurance plans. The procedure is safe and effective but according to the american academy of opthalmology laser cataract surgery is more costly than the traditional method and the cost is not.

The new artificial lens is inserted to replace the cloudy natural lens. Laser cataract surgery also can reduce stress on the retina and other delicate tissues of the eye during cataract extraction. The added cost of the laser procedure typically is included in the price of the premium iol.