American Eye Center Launches Advanced Cataract Surgery

A new treatment for cataracts has just been unveiled by American Eye Center (AEC), which promises to provide patients with the most advanced all-laser cataract procedure—the first of its kind in Asia.

Dubbed the Alcon LenSx Femtosecond Laser Surgery launched last  November 18 at the American Eye Center Greenbelt 5 branch. This new equipment brings an unprecedented level of safety, speed and precision in treating cataracts, and enhances the host of options for surgical-based methods that AEC offers its clients.

From surgical perspective, advances in cataract treatment have improved the way Ophthalmologists deal with this condition in the past two decades. We have seen how the merger of technology and surgical ingenuity contributed to making cataract surgery the modern-day miracle that is today. 

Currently, we can remove the cataract through a very small (2-3mm) incision in the eyeball using fine surgical blades and implant a multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) that restores full functional vision in patients after surgery. This is called “Phacoemulsification”, presently the standard in cataract practice worldwide. Unfortunately, this procedure has often been mistakenly referred to as “laser eye surgery”--which is NOT. It is more appropriate to call this procedure “small-incision cataract surgery”, “sutureless cataract surgery”, or “no-stitch cataract surgery” for the layman. True laser-assisted cataract surgery has never been available to patients until today—with the introduction of the Alcon LenSx femtosecond laser surgery.

The Alcon LenSx femtosecond laser differs from the traditional methods of cataract surgery by the absence of the blade. By using very short yet intense bursts of near-infrared light, the Alcon LenSx femtosecond laser technology is able to create extremely precise subsurface cuts without manual intervention. The blades used to create the small incisions in the eye have been completely replaced by this laser, making the incisions more precise and predictable. In addition, the circular opening that is created in the human lens in order to access the cataract called a “capsulotomy”, which was traditionally performed by human hands has now been replaced by the femtosecond laser, making the capsulotomies more architecturally round and centered.

The American Eye Center has been breaking new ground when it comes to ophthalmic care since its establishment in 1995. Accredited with the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, AEC is fully equipped with branches located at the Level 5, EDSA Shangri-La Plaza, and at the Level 4 of Greenbelt 5. For inquiries, visit their website www.americaneye.com.ph