Femtosecond
Laser Cataract Surgery

LenSx Engineer

If you’ve been diagnosed with a cataract, think of this as a great opportunity to improve your vision.  There has never been a more exciting time to have cataract surgery.  Intraocular lens technology is at its peak with many exciting and individualized choices.  The method of cataract extraction has evolved as well, building on an already refined and precise surgery.  The new LenSx Femtosecond Laser Assisted cataract surgery is one of the most recent advances in cataract surgery.

What is femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery?

LenSx Logo Femtosecond Laser Assisted cataract surgery is the newest way to perform cataract surgery, where the femtosecond laser does part of the cataract procedure that was traditionally done by surgeon’s hand.  At Achieve Eye and Laser Specialists, we use the Alcon SightPath LenSx system for patients who elect to have their surgery incorporate this technology.  The primary benefit of laser pretreatment is astigmatism correction, precision of incisions, and reduced surgical trauma.  Laser energy is use to pretreat your eye minutes before your surgery, making the tiny laser-precise incisions in your cornea and lens capsule.  The laser also then breaks up your cataract, reducing the amount of phacoemulsification (ultrasound) energy delivered to your eye during cataract removal.  The laser also can create extremely accurate limbal relaxing incisions in your cornea that aim to perfect any astigmatism correction you may need.

Please view this video to learn about how the femtosecond laser works.

How do I know if I’m a candidate?

Laser-Assisted vs. Standard cataract surgery will be one of the many exciting options your surgeon will discuss with you when you come for your consultation. We will take various measurement of your eyes as well as ask you lifestyle questions to determine the best way to design your cataract surgery.  We will make sure that you do not have signs of ocular diseases like glaucoma or macular degeneration. We will also assist you in picking the right intraocular lens to meet your needs.  There is no universal best option for every eye, and we will guide you through your decision making process.

Why Achieve Eye and Laser Specialists?

Mfemto2

Drs. Kremer, Leen, and Nakamoto were among the first to bring femtosecond laser surgery to Kitsap County.  We have performed more laser cataract surgeries than any other practice in the county.  We take great pride in knowing our patients and their eyes and expectations well. Our surgeons are board-certified, fellowship-trained, and are well equipped to dealing with perfectly healthy eyes to the very complex. All of our surgeons have performed thousands of successful cataract surgeries.  If you already have a favorite eye doctor, we will work with your ophthalmologist or optometrist to assure that your care is seamless. Our patients also find it reassuring that our surgeons live here in our community and are available should you encounter any difficulties after surgery. We take great pride in offering the best and widest breath of options for your visual goals.

Please call us at (360) 698-7300 or email achieve@achieveeye.com to schedule a consultation or to request more information.

Preparing for Surgery

Read on if you are preparing for your surgery date.

First, please visit our cataract page.  Femtosecond laser is a step that is added before your cataract surgery.  The actual patient experience, precautions, and care before and after your cataract surgery is mostly the same after this laser pretreatment step.

What should I expect on my surgery day?

The LenSx laser will be the first of two parts.  You will be awake and relaxed (conscious sedation) for the entirety of your procedure.  We will get you comfortable on a surgical bed in the operating suite.  The LenSx laser set up takes a few short minutes, this is performed by your surgeon and a Sightpath engineer, who will program the laser with the correction parameters most appropriate for your eye.  Your eye is held steady by a contact lens interface. The laser work itself takes about 30 seconds.  This is a completely painless process.  After your laser is completed, your bed is moved over to the operating microscope, where your surgeon will then use the pre-made incisions and segmentations in your cataract to easily remove the cataract, and insert your new intraocular lens.  The cataract extraction takes another 10-15 minutes.  At the end of the procedure, often times our patients will say “You’re done already?!”

You will receive written instructions prior to your surgery that are specific to your eye and your surgeon.  Typically, you will need to take drops starting the day prior to surgery and for 3-4 weeks following your surgery.  Visual recovery is on the order of a few days, and there are a few restrictions that your surgeon will discuss with you.

To see if you are a candidate for femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery, please call us at (360) 698-7300 or email achieve@achieveeye.com.

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