Wolfe Clinic Introduces a Revolutionary Cataract Removal System
November 25, 2003
The newest technology in cataract removal devices recently debuted in Iowa at the Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center, with Wolfe Clinic performing cataract surgery using the new device.
The newest technology in cataract removal devices recently debuted in Iowa at the Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center, with Wolfe Clinic performing cataract surgery using the new device. The new Infiniti� Vision System is the world�s first tri-modal cataract removal surgical instrument and the sixth generation of cataract phacoemulsification technology at MMSC. With this single instrument, surgeons now have a choice of three different methods to remove a cataract:
advanced ultrasound phacoemulsification alone,
the combination of ultrasound and oscillation provided by the NeoSoniX® handpiece, or
the entirely new AquaLase® liquefaction device that generates pulses of surgical water solution to safely break up and remove the natural lens material.
�The Infinity� Vision System represents a dramatic breakthrough in cataract surgical technology that delivers on our commitment to provide patients in central Iowa with the most innovative treatment available to help them achieve their best possible vision,� said John Graether, MD of Wolfe Clinic �The Infinity� system is an entirely new surgical platform that will allow surgeons to customize their approach to cataract surgery to accommodate each patient�s individual needs.�
�The new system offers a combination of technologies that is absolutely unique. It is by far the most efficient and flexible system ever developed for cataract removal, � said Chris Boggs, Director of Surgical Services for Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center. �This is another example of MMSC�s commitment to provide the best technology possible for our patients. �
With more than 1.5 million people having cataract surgery each year it has become one of the most performed operations in the United States. Eye surgeons at Wolfe Clinic perform more than 8,000 cataract surgeries annually. In addition, cataract surgery is one of the most successful procedures that can be performed, with nearly 90 percent of patients reporting improvement in vision after surgery.
�Cataracts are very easy to detect and treat,� said Graether. �We are fortunate that we live in a time when the loss of vision due to cataracts can be treated successfully in almost all cases.�
A cataract occurs when the normally clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy and interferes with light passing through the eye. Most cataracts are due to the normal aging process of the eye. Treatment for cataracts consists of the surgical removal of the cloudy lens, which is replaced with a prosthetic lens (intraocular lens or IOL). New technologies such as multiple optic (multifocal) IOLs and blue-light filtering IOLs are now available and add additional vision capabilities after surgery. Wolfe Clinic surgeons are actively involved in national studies to determine the effectiveness of new lens technologies.