Hadassah Medical Center acquires state-of-the-art tech to remove cataracts
Cataracts cause clouding of the eye lens, which leads to a reduction in visual acuity.
By ILANIT CHERNICKA cataract surgery being performed with new state-of-the-art equipment at Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem(photo credit: Courtesy)
In a first for Jerusalem, Hadassah University Medical Center in Ein Kerem has acquired advanced and innovative medical-tech instruments to perform state-of-the-art eye surgeries to remove cataracts.On Wednesday, it announced that it had started operating the eye surgery devices designed to improve the quality of eye surgery for residents both in the country and in Jerusalem and its surroundings, in particular.Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, Prof. Itay Chowers, the chairman of Hadassah’s Ophthalmology Department, said that the hospital has established “a comprehensive state-of-the-art cataract service that includes: A Catalys laser system, which allows the performance of Femtosecond-Laser-Assisted-Cataract Surgery (FLACS), which the most advanced biometry equipment with a new dedicated unit to perform accurate measurements of the transplanted artificial lens, and the most advanced microscope, known as the OPMI Lumera 700, connected to the biometry unit.”The new laser device enables accurate openings in various eye tissues with a laser beam.The device also has a live photography system that monitors the structure of the eye using the most advanced technology during laser operation.“This microscope facilitates precise implantation of intraocular lenses in general, and particularly for the correction of astigmatism,” Chowers explained.Astigmatism is a common vision condition that causes blurred vision.Chowers highlighted that “this comprehensive service (the laser, biometry service, and advanced microscope) allows us to treat any type of cataract, including the most complicated cases to achieve optimal results for the individual patient.”He added that this is “the first such comprehensive service in Israel.”According to Chowers, cataracts are the number one cause of significant vision impairment across the world.“Cataracts cause a clouding of the eye lens, which leads to a reduction in visual acuity, and may even cause multiple vision, blinding and completely blurred vision,” he said, adding that cataract surgery is the most common surgery in the world.The hospital pointed out in a statement that the most common cause of cataract development is old age. “However, there are conditions that can cause cataracts to appear in people of a younger age, such as: diabetes, high myopia,” which is an error in visual focusing, as well as “genetic causes, ocular trauma,” to name a few.The cataract surgery is most often done under local anesthesia, and during the surgery the lens of a person’s eye is removed and, in most cases, replaced with an artificial lens, which is fitted precisely and specifically to the analyzed eye.Chowers told the Post that having this cutting-edge system for cataract surgeries “allows us to obtain the most accurate and safe outcome for our patients.“The laser is an important component in this system as it perform accurate cuttings and reduces the energy level the surgeon has to apply during the surgery itself to remove the cataract from the eye,” he continued. “Altogether, the new cataract service allows for optimal outcomes for our patients. He said they also performed the first surgery with their new medical-tech instruments in mid-November 2019 and the microscope was first used in August 2019."Hadassah's eye department handles the most complex patients referred by ophthalmologists in the community,” Chowers stressed. “The hospital has the tools and capabilities to deal with complicated cases with the most skilled staff and cutting-edge technologies.“We are proud that Hadassah's eye system continues to grow and regenerate and bring the world's most advanced patient welfare technologies,” he concluded.
