5 Reasons to Try Cataract Treatment Using The Femtosecond Laser

Aug 19, 2021

Do you live with cataracts? Have you heard of cataract surgery but don’t know where to start? 

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness across the world. In fact, more than 24 million people in the United States over the age of 40 deal with cataracts. When you are suffering from vision loss, there are ways you can regain your vision. 

Do you want to learn more about cataract treatment? Keep reading these 5 reasons how the femtosecond laser is effective for cataract treatment. 

1. Improve Vision

One of the biggest benefits of using femtosecond laser cataract treatment is that it improves your vision. Cataracts lead to cloudy eye lenses and make it difficult to see clearly. In fact, many people feel as though they are looking through a foggy window when they have cataracts. 

While glasses may help in the early stages of cataracts, they will not permanently help. Your vision may become cloudier as your cataracts worsen. In fact, many people are unable to see at all if it is too dark or if they are out and about at night. Other than cataract surgery, there is not much that you can do to reverse the development of your cataracts. It is important to treat your cataracts before they become too difficult to remove. 

If you have cataracts and want to improve your vision, eye surgery with a femtosecond laser may be the best option for you. 

2. Increased Independence

Something else that is a benefit of getting cataract treatment is that it can greatly increase your independence. In fact, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, vision loss can significantly impact your daily life and your ability to take care of yourself. 

Not only does this affect your eyesight, but vision loss can lead to falls, injuries, and even mental health problems. Many people with cataracts are also unable to do daily activities. These include driving, reading, and even being able to see at night. As your cataracts worsen, you may also find that social activities become more difficult.

One way that you can regain your independence after developing cataracts is by getting cataract surgery. Femtosecond laser treatment can help you get back to doing the things you loved before your vision loss. 

3. Immediate Relief

While some types of eye surgery may take weeks to fully recover, cataract surgery, especially when done with the femtosecond laser, provides immediate relief to those with cataracts. 

In fact, the recovery period is typically very short. Sometimes patients find that their vision seems a bit blurry as their eye gets used to the removal of their cataracts or as they adapt to the new artificial lens that replaced the cloudy lens. 

However, many people who receive cataract treatment notice an improvement in their vision within the first few hours after surgery. In fact, you may even have completely clear vision immediately after! 

While you will experience improved vision almost immediately, your eye may take a bit longer to completely heal and be ready for normal activities. Within a month, your eye should be completely healed from your surgery. 

4. Prevent Other Eye Problems

One of the main benefits of using a femtosecond laser treatment for cataracts is that it can prevent other eye problems from occurring and it can even prevent your eyesight from worsening. While you may not notice your cataracts in the early stages, they will progressively get cloudier and more difficult to manage. 

As your lens gets more clouded, your vision will continue to worsen. If you do not treat your cataracts, there is a good chance that they can cause total blindness in your eyes. 

It is also important to remove cataracts before they become “hyper-mature.” These types of cataracts are much more difficult to remove and may even lead to complications during surgery. 

To prevent these eye problems from worsening, you can talk to your doctor and see if using a femtosecond laser for your cataract treatment is an option for you. 

5. Non-Invasive Procedure

When you are getting eye surgery, you may be worried or uncomfortable with the process. However, femtosecond laser cataract surgery is a very quick surgery. In fact, it usually only takes about 10 minutes for your provider to complete. 

With traditional cataract surgery, it can take up to an hour and is generally more invasive. Your doctor will numb your eyes with eye drops and will remove the cloudy lens. When this procedure is done with a femtosecond laser, it improves the precision of the incision and even leads to fewer complications. 

After you finish your surgery, you will rest and recover from the anesthesia for about 30 minutes. Because this is such a non-invasive process, it is an outpatient procedure. This means that you can go home almost immediately with little concern! The only precaution you need to take is to protect your eyes from bright lights. 

Typically, your surgeon will provide you with sunglasses you can wear on your drive home and throughout the next few days. 

Get Cataract Treatment and Vision Help Today

When you suffer from cataracts, your daily life is impacted and you may lose some independence. However, when you get femtosecond laser cataract treatment, you can regain your vision, find immediate relief, and even prevent other eye problems from happening. 

If you are looking for an ophthalmologist to help with cataract treatment, Vision Center of New York can help! Whether you need an eye exam or want to meet with our cataract surgeons, our doctors can help you find answers. Contact us today to learn more about our eye care services and to see how our team can help you find the best cataract treatments available.