London hospital is the first to use femtosecond laser

The London Eye Hospital is the first in the UK to use femtosecond laser for cataract removal and clear lens extraction.

This replaces the current technique of making an incision with a blade of approximately 3mm. The cataract is then broken up using high frequency ultrasound.

Femtosecond laser surgery creates a 3D model of the eye at a real-time micron level of accuracy. The surgeon guides the laser, which then dissolves the lens or cataract. Treatment can be tailored for each patient's specifications.

Complication risk and the risk of infection are reduced with the femtosecond laser, making it a safer alternative to cataract and lens extraction.

Consultant ophthalmic surgeon and medical director at the London eye Hospital, Bobby Qureshi, said: "With this new breakthrough in laser refractive surgery, we can now offer a safe and effective alternative for cataract removal in the UK. Our brand new femtosecond laser has been specially designed to bring an extraordinary level of accuracy and reproducibility to refractive cataract surgery, making this the single greatest breakthrough in cataract and lens extraction surgery in nearly 30 years. No matter how accurate manual procedures may have seemed in the past, they simply cannot compete with the accuracy and precision that is now possible with laser cataract removal, which means that this surgery is now safer than ever before.”