LASER ENERGY IN CATARACT SURGERY

Unique Russian technology of laser cataract extraction (LCE) was developed under the leadership of Prof. S.N. Fyodorov by a group of authors (V.G. Kopayeva, Y.V. Andreyev). This allows the destruction of all types of nuclei, including the most dense cataracts without manual fragmentation. Pioneering laser machine RAKOT has an Nd YAG laser with 1.44 mcm wavelength generating radiation in pulse-periodic regime with a 250 mcsec pulse duration, range of energy pulses is 5-500 mJ, frequency is 10-30 Hz, and a backing vacuum pump of original construction. The main advantage of 1.44 mcm Nd YAG laser compared to ultrasound phacoemulsification is its safety for intraocular structures surrounding the lens. This can be explained by fundamental physical properties of the laser radiation, as well as the surgical technique of LCE.