EyeWorld Asia-Pacific September 2015 Issue

35 Femto cataract clinical update September 2015 EWAP SECONDARY FEATURE Ziemer LDV 8 A major advantage with the Ziemer LDV 8 (Ziemer, Port, Switzerland) upgrade is the laser can be used universally for refractive, corneal, and cataract procedures, said Jeffrey J. Machat, MD , Crystal Clear Vision, Toronto. Plus, because of the LDV’s small size compared with other available lasers, cataract surgery is more efficient, he said. There is no need to switch a patient to different rooms to complete the procedure. “You can have it sitting in the corner, and you can pull it right up to a patient,” he said. The laser can be transported in a handicapped minivan between different clinics rather than a larger vehicle with air suspension, and it can be set up in 45 minutes, rather than hours to days as with other systems, Dr. Machat said. Functionality and transportability directly affect economics. Something else that distinguishes the Ziemer is the energy used. “The Z8 utilizes 1,000 times less energy per pulse, and has a repetition rate that is about 1,000 times faster,” Dr. Machat said, noting that the Ziemer’s energy is measured in nanojoules versus millijoules. “Because it uses low energy and an overlapping raster pattern, there is a smoother edge in capsulotomies more aligned with a manual curvilinear capsulorhexis than the postage stamp edge of current femtosecond lasers. Rather than bells and whistles, this is the key element of femtosecond laser technology that surgeons must understand when deciding which platform they wish to utilize for their patients.” Lastly, the Ziemer LDV 8 has a shorter focal length compared with some of the other femto cataract lasers, and that makes it more precise in hitting the intended plane during surgery, Dr. Machat said. “Ziemer has approached corneal and lenticular surgery differently, and the differences provide clinically significant advantages to surgeons and patients alike.” EWAP Editors’ note: The physicians have financial interests with the companies that make the lasers they are using. Contact information Donnenfeld : ericdonnenfeld@gmail.com Lane : sslane@associatedeyecare.com Machat : jeff.machat@crystalclearvision.com Solomon : Kerry.solomon@carolinaeyecare.com Trattler : wtrattler@gmail.com Weinstock : rjweinstock@yahoo.com