Femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery, or FLACS, a noninvasive cataract surgery procedure, is now being offered to Wilmer Eye Institute patients exclusively at its Bethesda satellite clinic.

In FLACS, a laser is used to create incisions in the eye, making this procedure a potentially bladeless surgery. The laser, operated by an ophthalmologist, makes precise cuts and can soften dense cataracts. The surgery then proceeds as a typical cataract surgery would, with the ophthalmologist removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a clear, artificial lens.

Nakul Shekhawat, M.D., M.P.H., a cornea specialist and the Stephen F Raab and Mariellen Brickley-Raab Rising Professor of Ophthalmology, says the use of laser technology in cataract surgery has been around long enough to have an excellent track record of safe outcomes for patients. “Laser cataract surgery has been a source of considerable interest for patients,” he says. “We are happy to offer this premium technology to patients who are interested and eligible.”

Shekhawat is one of three Wilmer faculty members who provide the procedure at the Bethesda clinic at this time, along with Mona Kaleem, M.D. and Jella An, M.D., M.B.A.

Kaleem says offering FLACS keeps Wilmer on the cutting edge in providing eye care and helps advance its practice. “It’s the way ophthalmology is moving,” she says about the use of laser cataract surgery.

While traditional cataract surgery continues to produce excellent outcomes, FLACS can provide customized treatments for corneal astigmatism and in some cases reduce damage to internal parts of the eye such as the corneal endothelium, Shekhawat says. This may lead to faster visual recovery for some patients, especially those with dense cataracts.

Shekhawat says some patients having FLACS have experienced remarkably rapid recovery, seeing perfectly or nearly perfectly the day after surgery. However, he emphasized that outcomes are generally very good with either procedure.

An, the medical director of the Bethesda clinic and the vice chair of the Wilmer Eyecare Network, says FLACS has become one of the most popular premium services chosen by her patients, who are very pleased with their outcomes. “Its risks and benefits are very well known,” she says. “There are certain populations who would really benefit from using laser cataract surgery.”