Cataract Surgery: Blade vs. Blade-free?

Blade-free laser cataract surgery costs more, but offers the potential for better results and less inflammation than the traditional procedure.

Traditional cataract surgery, by comparison, hasn’t changed much in more than 30 years—it’s still performed by using a small blade held by a human hand. 

"With blade-free cataract surgery, the femtosecond laser makes all the incisions and breaks up the cataract in under a minute,” Dr. Ken Lindahl says. “The laser has shown that it’s more accurate than a blade in the surgeon’s hand, so it has the potential for a sharper and more precise visual outcome. Specifically, you can customize the incisions for each specific eye to a much greater degree than any surgeon can do,”

The laser’s ability to break up the cataract also has benefits. Studies show surgeons are able to remove the cataract with a lot less energy inside the eye compared to the standard procedure. Dr. Lindahl says. “So, we think this could be healthier for the eye in the long term because were using less energy to remove the cataract.” 

 ‘Is it worth it for me to spend extra money to get it done with the laser?’ 

"Because of the benefits, I say, ‘Yes, it is. If it’s something you can afford, there’s no reason not to have it done with the laser,’ Dr. Lindahl says. "Another benefit is that more patients are getting 20/20 after surgery without the need for glasses, because this laser is more precise in making the opening incisions and more precise with treating astigmatism, more patients are less dependent on glasses afterward compared to traditional cataract surgery.” 

And now with the advancement of the new trifocal lens available for cataract patients, 20/20 (or better) vision is greater than ever.

Take our free Online Cataract Assessment and see if you Blade-Free Cataract surgery is right for you.