Organized by the Canary Society of Ophthalmology and co-directed by the undersigned, we had the privilege of hosting in Fuerteventura the leading experts in the different lasers currently being developed for cataract surgery, making it the first meeting of its kind organized by a Scientific Society in Spain.
And what is this femtosecond laser we're talking about?
It's a laser that strikes in one billionth of a second, which seems to give it greater precision. This tool currently allows certain "cuts" to be made directly by the laser without depending on the surgeon's skill, which some interpret as adding a "plus" of safety and personalization to this procedure, with the drawback that it entails an additional cost that the patient generally has to bear.
But…does it really offer anything significantly superior to what already exists? The answer is a resounding NO. In 95% of routine surgeries, the laser currently requires a circuit that slows down the process and causes discomfort to the patient in a procedure that had already achieved a standard of excellence, safety, and recovery. However, in certain cases, it does seem to offer some advantages, since in complex cases (endothelial cell dystrophy, narrow iridocorneal angle, etc.), it can simplify the process and improve the safety of the surgical procedure.
Will these types of platforms (currently prohibitively expensive, around €300,000…) be the basis of the technique in the future? We believe it will be a complement to current technology, combining biometric eye analysis with laser cutting and emulsification, which is not currently offered with lasers due to the limitations of these devices. The industry is working in this direction, with significant investment committed.
In this regard, this meeting reached similar conclusions, the most important being that, with or without laser, cataract surgery is currently safe IN EXPERIENCED HANDS.
Javier Rodríguez
Medical Director
NIVARIA CLINIC