State's 1st bladeless laser cataract surgery performed in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE ― Gainesville Eye Associates performed the first bladeless laser cataract surgery in Georgia Tuesday.

Gainesville Eye Associates ophthalmologists Dr. Jack Chapman Jr. and Dr. Clayton Blehm were recently certified to perform the surgery, which is similar to Lasik surgery technology. The bladeless surgery uses a computer-controlled laser that allows the eye surgeons to plan and perform the surgery to exact, individual specifications not attainable with other surgical procedures.

"The new laser technology gives us more precision than manual techniques. It's much less invasive when removing the cataract from the eye and it helps improve lens placement," Chapman said. "The benefit to the patient is that laser surgery is safer, more accurate and offers a faster recovery. It also minimizes changes to refractory vision, meaning fewer patients develop astigmatism or other vision problem after the surgery."

Cataracts are a clouding of your eye's natural lens that occurs in people ages 55 years and older. In fact, half of all Americans have them-or have had cataract surgery-by age 80. Cataracts can make sharp objects appear blurry, make colors look dull, and cause trouble seeing at night.

"As cities in the Northeast Georgia region continue to be named great places to retire, and the over-55 community grows, this population will benefit from a new option for cataract surgery," Chapman said.

Gainesville Eye Associates recently invested in the LenSx® laser to provide its patients with the option to have this unique surgery. There are fewer than 50 practices in the U.S. performing bladeless laser cataract surgery, and Gainesville Eye Associates is the only practice in the state of Georgia offering this procedure.

"This is more evidence that Gainesville and Northeast Georgia are among the leading areas of the state in medical advancements," Chapman said. "We are fortunate to live and work in an area where the medical community is always striving to make advances in patient care. Northeast Georgia Medical Center's Ronnie Green Heart Center being ranked No. 1 in the state for seven straight years is strong evidence of that."

http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/12/244595