Robotic cataract surgery is an advanced cataract surgery. In this type of cataract surgery, surgeons use a femtosecond laser, making it Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS). The use of femtosecond lasers in eye surgeries is due to their ultrafast pulses, which demand less energy and result in reduced damage to surrounding tissues.

The accuracy and precision of surgery is also high with femtosecond lasers. It takes only five minutes for Robotic cataract surgery to incise the cornea, open the lens capsule, and disintegrate the lens.

What Is Traditional Cataract Surgery?

A cataract is an eye condition in which the crystalline lens of the eye gets cloudy and blurs your vision partially or fully. To cure this condition surgeons perform cataract surgery to bring back sharp vision. Under traditional surgery, the surgeon cuts the cornea, opens the bag in which the clouded lens lies, and replaces it with an artificial lens. 

Traditional cataract surgeries, known as Small Incision Cataract Surgery and Phacoemulsification, involve manual actions by the surgeon, except for the removal of the eye lens. The PhacoMachine is used, which utilizes ultrasonic energy to liquefy the lens.

When Do You Need Surgery?

Usually, doctors recommend surgery if the cataract is significantly impacting your vision and quality of life. Here are some symptoms to determine if you need surgery:

• Daily vision problem
• Poor night vision
• Color seems dull
• Gets difficult to drive at night
• Glare from headlights
• Frequent changes in the number of eyeglasses
• Double vision

Here are some of the questions you should answer before deciding to undergo robotic cataract surgery:

When Should You Undergo Robotic Surgery?

First doctor will examine your vision for which you might have to recognize symbols or letters to know your vision sharpness. Doctors identify cataracts with the help of slit lamps and check the eyes thoroughly to rule out glaucoma, retinal degeneration, or any other eye disorder. 

You can also postpone the surgery if the cataract isn’t giving you problems in daily life. Doctors might suggest surgery quickly if you have any other eye disorder because cataract can meddle with other eye conditions and makes it difficult to get exact treatment.

Which Procedure To Follow?

If both eyes are diagnosed with cataracts, the doctor will recommend several scans to calculate the power of the replacement lens. They will then propose treating the eye with dense cataracts first. If your vision significantly improves, you may not need surgery on the other eye. However, it is observed that people often benefit from having both eyes operated on.

If a person is either far-sighted or near-sighted and has cataracts in both eyes, they should undergo surgery on both eyes within one month.

Which Type Of Replacement Lens Should You Fix It With?

Replacement of clouded lenses is the only cure for cataracts. Advanced technology has made the surgery more efficient and less time-consuming i.e. within 15 minutes. You just need to choose the right replacement lens for your eyes. 

Here are some options –

• Fixed-focus Monofocal lenses

These lenses are good for distant vision and you will need spectacles for near vision. You can also go for monovision. In this approach, surgeons fit fixed-focus mono-focal lenses, with one eye receiving a near-vision lens and the other eye-getting a far-vision lens.

• Accommodative Monofocal lenses

These lenses automatically change from far to near (and vice versa) in response to ciliary muscle movement in the eyes. Far and middle visions are visible properly but a near vision becomes difficult. People need to wear glasses. 

• Toric lenses

These lenses are recommended to astigmatism patients mostly because toric lenses give a focused vision at a particular distance. This lens corrects the astigmatism of a person and you will need spectacles for near vision.

Also Read: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ORBITAL CELLULITIS? 

• Multifocal lenses

These lenses are optically designed to provide clear vision at all three distances: distance, near, and intermediate. Doctors recommend multifocal lenses for individuals who wish to achieve complete spectacle independence after cataract surgery.

If you’re looking for a replacement of clouded lenses visit PVRI – the best eye hospital in Hyderabad!

Though traditional cataract surgery still exists, here are some benefits of opting for Robotic cataract surgery instead of the former-

• Lens placement and alignment are calculative and precise
• Using this technique greatly reduces the risk of poor-quality incisions and uncontrolled capsular tears.
• Laser-assisted vision correction is also possible
• Recovery is fast

Robotic cataract surgery is an advanced technology that makes the treatment more precise and accurate without postoperative complications. It has also lessened the operating time and recovery time for a person.

If you’re considering surgery, visit PVRI – the best eye hospital in Hyderabad!