MOST COMMON SURGERY NOW SAFER
New Cataract Surgical Device Designed to Reduce Complications

June 2003 -- More than 2.5 million people undergo cataract removal surgery in the U.S. each year, and now researchers at Alcon Laboratories have recently devised a new technique that could make the most commonly performed surgery in the U.S. a little safer.

There's a new advancement in lens removal technology that may reduce the risk of thermal burns and other potential complications called the AquaLase(r) Liquefaction Device. Instead of using a metal probe, a doctor can now dissolve a patient's clouded lens with pulses of warm naturally balanced solution to 'wash away' the lens layer by layer.

AquaLase(r) Liquefaction Device is part of the Infiniti(tm) Vision System, the world's first tri modal cataract removal surgical instrument. This single instrument now allows surgeons to choose from three different methods to remove a cataract. These are: advanced ultrasound phacoemulsification alone, the combination of ultrasound and oscillation energy provided by the NeoSoniX(r) handpiece, or Alcon's entirely new AquaLase(r) liquefaction device that generates pulses of surgical solution to safely break up and remove the natural lens material. Increased flexibility and greater options provide surgeons with more control over the lens removal procedure, which potentially offers the reduced risk of complications. It also represents the first departure from ultrasound phacoemulsification, which has been the industry standard for almost 25 years.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens that can cause vision problems and left untreated could lead to blindness. Cataract surgery involves removing a cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. In rare circumstances, complications can occur the most common include inadvertent rupture of the lens capsule or corneal burns from a vibrating phaco probe.

Cataracts are the number one cause of blindness around the world, and more than half of all Americans age 65 and older have a cataract. For more information on cataract surgery, see your eye care professional or visit cataractsurgery.com.


Produced for Infiniti

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