Laser technology for cataract surgery first time in Gujarat

Raghudeep Eye Hospital (REH), a premier eye care hospital in Ahmedabad with focus on providing quality eye care solutions has introduced Laser Technology in cataract surgery for the first time in Gujarat. In India, there are only a few centres that have access to this technology, and REH is the only hospital in Gujarat to have this technology.

World renowned cataract surgeon and Professor of Ophthalmology at the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati, USA, Dr. Robert Osher is on his first ever visit to India to conduct a training workshop for over 600 doctors from across India at Colloquium 2013 being held at Ahmedabad.

Elaborating on the latest advances in eye care, Dr Robert Osher, Professor of Ophthalmology at the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati, USA said, "Cataract surgery has seen several evolutionary changes, right from the days of intracapsular cataract surgery to extracapsular (sutured) cataract surgery to the small incision phacoemulsification (often misnamed as laser cataract surgery) to the very latest Femtosecond-assisted Cataract Surgery. With the introduction of this technology, laser cataract surgery is now a reality. It allows performing an image-guided treatment, customised for each eye. It holds the promise of revolutionising the way cataract surgery is performed, with enhanced precision, safety and optimised outcomes. It is being widely adopted in the western world."

Dr. Abhay Vasavada, Director of Raghudeep Eye Hospital and the organiser of Colloquium 2013 said, "My experience with the femtosecond lasers (both cataract and refractive) has been extremely good. Talking about femtosecond-assisted cataract surgery, it is definitely a more precise and predictable way to perform cataract surgery. It works amazingly well even in difficult situations. I am quite sure that this is the technology of the future. Similarly, Femtosecond (LASIK) has been established for quite a while now in the western world, as the standard of care. However, in India, it is still not that widely accepted. I have always believed in adapting to the best scientific practices. Therefore, I am proud to say that we are the only centre in India that offers 'only' Femtosecond-customized-LASIK treatment. I foresee even more advancements with the Femtosecond Laser technology that will further enhance the safety and precision for cataract and refractive surgery."

Cataract is still the number one cause of preventable blindness in India. As per the National Centre for Biotechnology Information data, the absolute number of cataract blind would increase from 7.75 million in 2001 to 8.25 million in 2020 due to a substantial increase in the population above 50 years in India over this period.

Laser technology is the future of cataract surgery. Combining it with newer diagnostic technology like wave front aberrometry, optical biometry, advanced corneal analysis, as well as an array of intraocular lenses, it is now possible to provide patients much better eye care solutions.

REH has organised the Annual Phacoemulsification Workshop, Colloquium 2013, which will be held on December 7 & 8, 2013 at Gujarat University Convention Centre, Ahmedabad. Colloquium 2013 will be highly interactive and conversant in nature and cataract surgeons from all over India are going to participate.

Source : Equity Bulls

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