Laser Cataract Surgery
Computer-guided precision for key steps of cataract surgery. At Multack Eye Care, we recommend laser-assisted cataract surgery when it supports the plan we’ve made for your eye and your vision goals. Your surgeon will explain where the laser can help and which choices matter most for your vision.
What the laser does
A femtosecond laser uses a computer-guided treatment plan to perform selected steps. It can create a precisely sized opening in the thin capsule around the cloudy lens, break the lens into smaller pieces before removal, and create certain corneal incisions when appropriate. Your surgeon plans and controls the procedure, removes the cloudy lens, and places the artificial lens.
Why we recommend it for selected eyes
We value the ability to plan the size and position of the capsule opening and the pattern used to break up the cataract. Breaking up the lens in advance can reduce the amount of ultrasound energy needed in some cases. For selected patients, carefully planned corneal incisions can also help address some astigmatism. We look at your measurements, eye health, and vision goals before recommending a technique.
Laser cataract surgery from the beginning
Multack Eye Care has used the LenSx femtosecond laser since its launch. In the year LenSx launched, Dr. Sam Multack became the first surgeon to use it at Tinley Woods Surgery Center.
Multack Eye Care performs the most laser-assisted cataract surgeries in Illinois.
The choice we made for our own families
When Dr. Sam Multack performed cataract surgery for his mother and for his father, Dr. Richard Multack, a retired Ophthalmologist, he chose laser assistance.
Dr. Athanasios Marneris also chose laser-assisted cataract surgery when he operated on his uncle and his father-in-law.
These are personal examples of how we make this decision at MEC. We consider the eye in front of us, explain the choices, and recommend the approach we believe best fits that person.
How does it compare with conventional cataract surgery?
Both approaches can restore vision affected by cataracts. A femtosecond laser lets the surgeon plan the size and position of the opening in the lens capsule (the capsulorhexis). Published research has found that laser-created openings tend to be more circular than manually created openings.
How close did we get to the planned prescription?
MEC reviewed outcomes from 1,100 eyes that received monofocal lenses. Three surgeons performed the procedures in this retrospective study.
ESCRS/EUREQUO conventional phaco group
These figures describe the eyes in our review. The study looked back at care already delivered, so differences between the groups may have contributed to the results.
Excellence begins before surgery
Our commitment to excellent outcomes starts with a rigorous preoperative examination and advanced biometry to measure your eye and guide lens selection. We bring those measurements together with laser technology, when appropriate, and the judgment and surgical skill of our physicians to build a precise, personalized plan. Every step serves the same goal: the best possible vision for your individual eyes.
Understanding the published benchmark
A 2016 ESCRS/EUREQUO study reported that 74.3% of 4,987 conventional phacoemulsification cases were within ±0.50 diopters of the intended target at 7–60 days after surgery. The study included clinics in Europe and Australia; this is a historical study benchmark, not a U.S. national average.
For context, the same EUREQUO study reported 72% within ±0.50 diopters in its laser-assisted group. MEC’s findings come from a separate retrospective review. Differences in patients, surgical era, measurements and methods limit comparisons across studies; these figures do not establish that laser assistance alone produces better refractive outcomes.
Seven years of retrospective data
In MEC’s seven-year retrospective review of 13,569 phacoemulsification cataract procedures, 7 eyes had at least one of the complications tracked in the study.
This practice-wide result is separate from the 1,100-eye laser-versus-nonlaser refractive outcomes review above. It describes recorded outcomes in the reviewed cases and does not establish that laser assistance caused a lower complication rate. Individual results and risks vary.
Is laser assistance the same as choosing an advanced lens?
They are separate decisions. Laser assistance describes how parts of the surgery are performed. The replacement lens helps determine where you’ll focus and how much you may rely on glasses. Explore our cataract lens options before your consultation.
What does Medicare cover?
Medicare generally covers medically necessary cataract surgery with a standard lens, subject to your coverage and cost sharing. Using a laser for covered surgical steps does not create a separate patient fee. Optional services for vision correction may involve out-of-pocket costs. Our team will explain your options and any expected charges before you decide.
Talk through your options with a cataract surgeon
Bring your questions and tell us how you want to see in daily life. We’ll walk through your measurements, whether laser assistance fits your eye, and which lens options make sense for you.
Further reading: FACT randomized trial, one-year results and Medicare guidance on laser-assisted cataract surgery.