In Pic: Dr. H. V. Hande, Former Health Minister, Tamil Nadu (left) is seen along with Dr. Arulmozhi Varman, Ophthalmic Surgeon & Medical Director and Mrs. Uma Varman, Admin Director, Uma Eye Clinic during the formal inauguration of CATALYS.
First Time in Tamil Nadu
CATALYS, Robotic Laser Cataract Surgery System, the most advanced system currently in the world was launched recently at Uma Eye Clinic, Annanagar by Dr HV Hande, Former Health Minister, Tamil Nadu. The Robotic surgery provides better precision and accuracy.
Dr. Arulmozhi Verman, Ophthalmic Surgeon, Uma Eye Clinic said, “It is a robotic surgery using laser. The existing cataract surgery procedure involves a human hand precision of 1 mm to 2 mm. With CATALYS, the precision goes up to 1 to 2 microns. It guarantees a significant degree of accuracy over the other procedure and it is beyond what a human hand can do. It also reduces the effects of ultrasound probe which is used to break up the lens for removal. It gives better and faster results,” he says.
He further added that CATALYS would increase the cost of the procedure by Rs 50,000 to Rs 65,000. A cataract surgery for one eye can cost up to Rs 70,000 depending on the lens. There are conventional surgery procedures and Femto second Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS) procedure options available. There are currently four companies offering the technology, however, the American one is considered to be the best among them.
Cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye leading to a decrease in vision. A person can develop cataract in one or both eyes. Often it develops slowly and sometimes over years. Cataracts are the cause of half of blindness and 33 percent of visual impairment worldwide. Cataract symptoms include clouded, blurred or dim vision, increasing difficulty in vision at night, sensitivity to light and glare, seeing halos around lights, frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription, fading or yellowing of colours, double vision in a single eye.
