Is Laser Cataract Surgery Better Than Traditional Cataract Surgery?

May 21st, 2021

Is your vision getting blurry and making it harder for you to see each day? Has your eye prescription changed a lot recently, and now cataracts are affecting your vision?

If so, you’re probably considering cataract surgery, but you need to decide which type is best for you. Your options are laser cataract surgery and traditional cataract surgery.

Keep reading to learn more about the differences between laser cataract surgery and traditional cataract surgery.

What Are Cataracts?

Cataracts form as the proteins in your natural lens break down and clump together. This process is inevitable as you age.

They cause your vision to appear cloudy and blurry as more and more proteins clump together. Cataracts become worse over time and can eventually cause vision loss.

You can have a cataract in one eye or both, and when you have a cataract, many everyday activities are harder to do. 

Doing things like reading, driving, and being in bright sunlight become increasingly difficult. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and cataract surgery is necessary to restore your vision.

Traditional Cataract Surgery

Traditional cataract surgery is the most common medical procedure in the country. It is a medically necessary procedure, so insurance and Medicare cover it.

Traditional cataract surgery relies on the steady hand of the doctor performing the surgery. They make a tiny incision in your cornea so they can remove the clouded lens behind it.

After making the incision, they insert a small probe into your eye to break up the natural lens. The broken lens gets removed with gentle suction.

Then an intraocular lens or IOL gets inserted and moved into place to replace your natural lens. Your eye heals itself during your recovery period after cataract surgery.

Cataract surgery takes about 20 minutes, and you’ll see more clearly after 2-3 days of recovery time and rest. You may feel some discomfort like an itchy, gritty feeling in and around your eye for several days after.

Laser Cataract Surgery

Laser cataract surgery is more precise, safer, and faster than traditional cataract surgery. And it has little to no discomfort because a laser makes the incision in your cornea.

Before laser cataract surgery begins, images get taken of your eye with the CATALYS® advanced 3D imaging technology. This technology creates a three-dimensional map of your eye which guides the laser.

Laser cataract surgery is more customized to your eye than traditional cataract surgery. Creating a map of your eye before the procedure begins gives you the most beneficial cataract surgery possible.

There is less chance that your IOL gets misaligned or placed away from the most optimal spot in your eye. And the healing process is faster and has fewer risks like infection or the incision reopening.

That’s because the laser making the incision is more precise than your surgeon making the incision by hand. Laser precision means the incision is smaller and less deep. A more accurate incision leads to less eye trauma and a faster recovery time.

Whichever option you decide to go with, you’ll be happy that you had cataract surgery. Seeing more clearly will help you to enjoy life to its fullest.

If you prefer to have insurance or Medicare cover your procedure, traditional cataract surgery is right for you. If you would like less risk and a faster recovery time, you may want to consider laser cataract surgery.

No matter what you choose, don’t put it off another day! Cataract surgery can give you your eyesight and your life back. Schedule an appointment at Laser Eye Center in Huntsville, AL, to discuss which cataract surgery is best for you!