Vision Correction Surgeons in San Diego Offering First Laser Refractive Cataract Surgery in City
Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgery in the United States with over 1.5 million procedures done each year. A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens in the eye, causing hazy vision, unusual glare, poor night vision or a reduction in color perception. The LenSx® Femtosecond Laser is a new way of performing cataract surgery without a surgical blade. This custom, blade-free, laser assisted cataract removal option allows the surgeons at Gordon Schanzlin New Vision Institute to plan and perform cataract and lens exchange surgeries to exacting, individualized specifications unattainable with standard cataract surgery. The laser technology utilizes the same technology used in the LASIK procedure, and has been shown to not only reduce risks associated with traditional cataract surgery, but also to improve accuracy and efficiency of the procedure. In fact, recent studies show that some steps of the treatment were several times more accurate than standard techniques.
LenSx® Femtosecond Laser is the world’s first cataract surgery to utilize the same technology used in LASIK during some of the most important steps of lens exchange surgery. Gordon Schanzlin New Vision Institute is the first to offer laser refractive cataract surgery in San Diego. They are calling this new bladeless approach LRx or Laser Assisted Refractive Lens Exchange. Drs. Michael Gordon and Jack Weiss are pioneering the next phase of cataract and lens exchange surgical treatment. Once the clouded natural lens of the eye is removed, it is replaced with a clear, plastic intraocular lens (IOL). The procedures are performed in the comfort of their office based surgical suite.
Dr. Gordon says the practice’s long-standing commitment to innovation and experience with laser vision correction will prove to be a valuable asset to their San Diego patients. “We were one of the first practices in the US to believe laser-created LASIK flaps were best for the patient, which proved to be true. We now believe Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery will be better for patients and will become the way most cataract surgeries are performed. We feel our expertise in laser technology, makes us the perfect practice to bring this to San Diego.”
Drs. Gordon and Weiss have been involved in many new technology introductions and say they are excited to provide patients with a new standard in lens procedures. “It is the cataract surgery I would want for my friends, my family and myself,” says Dr. Weiss. “Having performed well over 10,000 successful cataract procedures, it is exciting to be able to introduce bladeless, laser-assisted cataract surgery. It should improve accuracy and allow patients who choose refractive cataract surgery to see even better without glasses after surgery.”
The LenSx® Femtosecond Laser uses light energy to perform corneal incisions and anterior capsulotomies (incision that allows access to the cataract-clouded lens). Everyone has a unique structure to the eye, and the laser is custom-guided to perform these steps with the most accurate and precise results possible for each individual. Using a state-of-the-art computer guidance system, our cataract surgeons can combine their experience and skills performing traditional cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange with the advanced LenSx® Femtosecond Laser technology to give exceptional results. The new blade-free laser refractive cataract surgery can also better manage astigmatism than traditional cataract surgery. The advent of newer and better IOLs has allowed cataract surgery to develop into laser refractive cataract surgery.
LRx Refractive Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery has progressed from a procedure that removes the cloudy lens to a procedure that makes vision more functional by decreasing dependency on spectacles or contact lenses. This drastic improvement in the outcome of the procedure is due to the Blade-Free laser technique we call LRx and better lens implants. There are now many new lens options.
Toric (astigmatism correcting) Lens: The toric lens corrects for astigmatism and allows for improved vision for any patient with significant astigmatism.
Accommodative Lens: The Crystalens is an accommodative lens and is designed to help solve the problems of presbyopia. The lens is placed in the eye to give the best distance vision possible. When the patient looks at a near object the lens moves forward in the eye to focus on that object. When the patient looks off in the distance again the lens moves back to focus at the distance. This is a wonderful lens for distance and intermediate vision, such as computer. It also works fairly well at near for reading.
Multifocal Lenses: There are two great multifocal lenses, the ReStor and the Tecnis Multifocal. Both of these lenses have concentric rings on them that take the incoming light and split it between distance and near as a means of helping to correct presbyopia. This gives very good distance and reading vision. The best reading is with good lighting. The intermediate vision is good but not quite as sharp as the near and distance.
Blended Vision: This is another means of addressing presbyopia. It can be done with the toric lenses for patients with significant astigmatism. For those patients without significant astigmatism it is performed utilizing a very thin lens, allowing for some movement within the eye. The lens is put in the dominant eye for very sharp distance vision. The nondominant eye has the lens placed for intermediate distance. Due to the flexibility of this lens it allows for a blend of vision at all distances.
Dr. Michael Gordon and Dr. Jack Weiss, recommend the optimal choice for each patient. It is important to understand that the lenses are designed to give the best functionality with the least dependency on spectacles.
About Dr. Michael Gordon and Dr. Jack Weiss
Dr. Michael Gordon and Dr. Jack Weiss are corneal specialists who perform refractive, corneal and cataract surgery at the Gordon Schanzlin New Vision Institute. They are among the most experienced and well-trained surgeons in the world and together they have performed thousands of successful surgical and laser vision correction procedures.
Gordon Schanzlin New Vision Institute is located at 8910 University Center Lane Ste. 800, UTC La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92122. The practice can be reached at (858) 455-6800, or found online at www.gwsvision.com.