Organized by the Canarian Ophthalmology Society and co-directed by the undersigned, we had the privilege of having in Fuerteventura the best experts in the different lasers that are developed today for cataract surgery, being the first such meeting organized by a Society Scientist in Spain.
And what is that femtosecond laser we are talking about?
Well, it is a laser that hits in a billionth of a second, which seems to give it more precision. This tool currently allows certain "cuts" to be made directly by the laser without depending on the surgeon's expertise, which some interpret as adding a "plus" of safety and personalization to this intervention, with the drawback that it entails an additional cost that The patient generally has to assume it.
But… does it really contribute something notably superior to what already exists today? Well, the answer is overwhelming. In 95% of the usual surgeries NO. The laser currently requires a circuit that delays the process and makes the patient uncomfortable in a procedure that had already achieved a standard of excellence, safety and recovery. But in certain cases, it DOES seem that it can contribute something, since in complicated cases (endothelial cell dystrophy, narrow chamber angle ...), in these cases it can simplify the process and improve the safety of the surgical act.
Will these types of platforms (currently prohibitive, around 300.000 € ...) on which the technique is based in the future? We believe that it will be a complement to the current, that combines the biometric analysis of the eye with the laser cutting and emulsification that is currently not offered with laser due to the limitations of these devices, and in this line the industry is working, with important committed investment.
In this sense, this meeting reached similar conclusions, the most important being the one that states that, with or without laser, cataract surgery is currently safe IN EXPERIENCED HANDS.
Javier Rodriguez
Medical director
CLÍNICA NIVARIA