What is Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery (LACS)?
Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery involves using a laser to fragment and soften a cataract during cataract surgery. A cataract is a cloudy or murky lens inside your eye just behind the iris, the uniquely colored part of the eye. In order to see clearly, a lens must be clear to focus light onto the retina at the back of the eye. With age and certain medical conditions, the lens becomes a cataract and decreases the focusing ability of the eye, clouding one’s vision.
The only method to removing cataracts is surgery. A tiny incision is made on an anesthetized eye, the cataract is broken up by ultrasonic energy, and the softened lens material is removed by suction, or aspiration. The cataractous lens will then be replaced by an artificial intraocular lens, commonly called an IOL, usually made of medical-grade acrylic or silicone material. Cataract surgery is an effective way to correct one’s vision and has a high success rate. More recently, Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery (LACS) has become a popular option in cataract surgery. If you’d like to learn more about LACS, please Click Here.
Currently, there are two popular lasers being used in the industry, and the physicians at Eye Physicians of North Houston are qualified to use the Catalys Laser by Abbott Medical Optics (AMO). The CATALYS® Precision Laser System by AMO offers:
* LIQUID OPTICS Interface, gentle docking onto the eye with minimal intraocular pressure rise and clear optics for excellent imaging and laser delivery
* INTEGRAL GUIDANCE System – proprietary 3D Full Volume Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and automated surface mapping algorithms that guide laser delivery
* Precise capsulotomies within 30µm
* Complete segmentation and softening of the cataract with adjustable grid sizing
* Multiple corneal incision centration options that are based on anatomical landmarks