Army hospital performs femtosecond laser-assisted robotic cataract surgery

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The Army Hospital Research & Referral (AHRR) here on Thursday became the "first government institute" in the country to perform a robotic cataract surgery with a state-of-the-art treatment system that uses a femtosecond laser, an official statement said.

A femtosecond laser can emit ultrashort optical pulses, and it is also used in ophthalmic surgery to correct human vision. The procedure was conducted by Brig S K Mishra on a 61-year-old patient, the defence ministry said in the statement.

"In a breakthrough for military medical care, the Army Hospital Research and Referral (AHRR) on August 28, became the first government institute in India and the second in South Asia to perform robotic custom laser cataract surgery using the state-of-the-art ALLY adaptive cataract treatment system," it said.

This achievement marks the ophthalmology department's successful entry into the frontier of robotic, bladeless, and computer-guided eye surgery with its first-ever femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS), the statement said.

While conventional surgery remains effective, FLACS represents a major technological advancement, as the femtosecond laser automates critical steps of the procedure, including corneal incisions, capsulotomy, and cataract fragmentation with micron-level precision, the officials said.

The integration of this cutting-edge technology at AHRR underscores the armed forces' commitment to delivering the most advanced, safe, and effective healthcare for its personnel and their families, they said.

The FLACS ensures both precision and optimal outcomes, critical in military medicine, it said. PTI KND RHL