4.8.2021
Dr. Stodůlka collaborated with the French manufacturer Keranova to develop a laser with a robotic arm. Recognizing its contribution, the Gemini Clinic thus became the first facility where a unique laser was used in 2019 for cataract surgery. The now improved version of the laser has arrived in Zlín again for the technology to serve the cataract surgery of the first patients.
“Current cataract surgery improves eyesight safely and with high quality. The latest method is laser surgery. The laser performs some steps of the surgery, which in the traditional method are performed manually with microsurgical instruments. The laser procedure is thus even more gentle, safer, and more precise,” The laser procedure is thus even more gentle, safer, and more precise,” said Pavel Stodůlka, the Gemini Eye Clinic network president.
The femtomatrix laser from Keranova is the fastest laser with a robotic arm for eye surgery. The new version has a number of technical improvements: “The key technical feature is the multiplication of the laser beam foci. In the spot where the laser strikes the lens, there are six, nine, or more foci instead of one focus, common with current lasers. As a result, the laser is many times faster than current lasers used for eye surgery. The advantage is also the advanced function, which allows you to use different energy in different parts of the lens, which is not only effective, but the procedure becomes more gentle,” Pavel Stodůlka described the advantages of the laser.
Improved options increase its efficiency and comfort for patients. The new automatic system can recognize the internal structures of the eye and thus reduce the time of the procedure thanks to faster focusing from one minute 36 seconds to about five seconds. “During cataract surgery, the part of the operation called capsulotomy (preparation to remove the clouded human lens) has accelerated, specifically from 29 seconds to one to three seconds. The laser beam’s properties, which are now more accurate and faster, have been modified. The laser-cut is now more delicate and even, with beam energy reduced by up to five times. A soft optically high-quality hydrogel is now used for a comfortable connection of the eye with the laser,“ described Pavel Stodůlka.
The first-ever patient in the world underwent an advanced Keranova laser surgery on July 13 at the Gemini Eye Clinic in Zlín. In ophthalmology, this was a prestigious moment for the Czech Republic. The second country where the use of this laser in eye surgery is planned is France.
