Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS)

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery is the most modern method of cataract surgery.

Here, the eye is pretreated with a laser in such a way that the surgeon only has to aspirate the cloudy natural lens and implant the new artificial lens (IOL), meaning that no more blades are used.

‍

Benefits

Shortly before treatment with the laser, it is programmed exactly where tissue is to be cut in order to make the operation as safe and precise as possible. The corneal incisions (femto incision) in the anterior chamber are created with micrometer accuracy and in the desired shape.

• allows you to correct its curvature of 0.5 to 2.0 dpt through targeted additional incisions in the cornea, so-called “arcuate incisions”
• Can be used as a marker for implanting toric IOLs so that even larger corneal curvatures can be corrected to the degree

The lens capsule, which surrounds the cloudy lens, is circular and centered exactly on the center of the pupil (femto-rhexis).

• improves stability during surgery
• results in better centering of the IOL

The cloudy lens is crushed with the laser beam (femto-segmentation). As a result, there is less need to be manipulated in the eye and less “harmful” energy is released.

• The suspension of the lens is protected
• Less ultrasonic energy is required to vacuum the lens parts
  • This protects the endothelial cells on the back of the cornea

These factors mean that femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery is superior to manual cataract surgery in terms of precision and gentleness. This has been scientifically proven several times.

FAQs - common questions

Does the surgeon no longer have to operate himself during this type of cataract surgery?

No, the femtosecond laser assists the surgeon and performs a large part of the surgical steps; the aspiration of segmented lens remnants and the implantation of the artificial lens is still carried out manually.

Is the operation faster if it is performed with a femtosecond laser?

The total duration of the operation remains approximately the same, but the time spent manually operating on the eye decreases significantly.

Are the additional costs covered by health insurance?

The additional costs associated with the femtosecond laser are not covered by basic insurance or health insurance. As a rule, semi-private and private supplementary insurance does not contribute to the costs. If necessary, we will be happy to prepare a corresponding cost sharing application for you.