The first cataract surgeries in Poland using a modern nanolaser system have been performed in Lublin. The technology enables highly precise delivery of energy to the eye’s lens while limiting its impact on surrounding tissues. The first four procedures were performed by Professor Robert Rejdak, Head of the Department of General Ophthalmology at the Medical University of Lublin.
Modern technologies are playing an increasingly important role in ophthalmic surgery. One of them is a system that uses nanolaser energy during cataract surgery. The first procedures of this kind in Poland have now been performed in Lublin.
“This is the first time this system has been used for cataract surgery in Poland. We are very pleased with the initial results, particularly in terms of precision and safety,” says Professor Robert Rejdak.
So far, four procedures have been performed, and further surgeries are planned. The technology has been under development for approximately ten years by a German manufacturer of laser systems used in ophthalmology. As Professor Rejdak emphasizes, this is no longer a prototype but a commercially available system that has reached a level of development allowing it to be safely used in patients.
Energy Delivered Exactly Where It Is Needed
One of the key features of the new technology is the way energy is delivered inside the eye. Conventional systems used in cataract surgery rely on ultrasound. The nanolaser works differently: its energy is concentrated within a very limited area, directly at the tip of the instrument.
“The laser acts very precisely and locally. When lens tissue — the cataractous lens material — enters the area of action, it is fragmented and removed, while the energy does not affect the surrounding tissues in the same way,” explains Professor Rejdak.
Limiting the amount of energy delivered into the eye is important for both procedural safety and the healing process. Professor Rejdak notes that during the procedures performed so far, the system indicated very low energy consumption. One of the objectives of the method is therefore not only to remove the cataract precisely, but also to use the lowest possible optimal amount of energy.
A New Technique Requires Surgeons to Adapt
The use of a nanolaser also requires modification of the surgical technique. The instrument tip differs from those used by ophthalmic surgeons during conventional cataract procedures.
For a surgeon who has worked with a particular technique for many years or even decades, such a change may initially present a challenge. Professor Rejdak emphasizes, however, that he quickly adapted his surgical technique to the new design of the instrument.
His extensive clinical experience proved valuable — Professor Rejdak has performed more than 50,000 cataract surgeries. As he points out, he had no particular concerns before the first procedure, also because the device is already commercially available and has the required regulatory approvals.
Particular Potential for Premium Intraocular Lenses
Nanolaser technology may be particularly useful in patients with cataracts at an earlier stage and in procedures involving the implantation of premium intraocular lenses.
Such lenses can correct various refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism, reducing the patient’s dependence on glasses. The nanolaser may also be used during refractive lens exchange, in which the natural lens is replaced with an artificial premium intraocular lens.
The new technology is still relatively rarely used in Europe. According to Professor Rejdak, similar systems are currently used in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, as well as in Japan outside Europe.
Lublin to Train Ophthalmic Surgeons
The introduction of the technology in Poland is intended to be only the beginning. Professor Rejdak also plans to launch a training programme for Polish ophthalmic surgeons.
The first training course is scheduled to take place in Lublin in November as part of the Lublin School of Surgery and will be dedicated to physicians from Poland.
“My initial observations confirm that the laser acts very precisely within a highly localized area. This has reinforced my view that it may increase the safety of the procedure because the energy does not penetrate deeper or affect adjacent structures of the eye,” Professor Robert Rejdak concludes.
The first four procedures mark the beginning of the implementation of this technology in Lublin. Further surgeries are already planned, and they will provide additional clinical experience with the use of nanolaser technology in cataract surgery.
Jolanta Czudak-Tomaka
