Laser surgery gives relief for those with poor eyesight
Dr Li Wensheng carries out a laser cataract surgery.
Laser technology is being increasingly used to treat eye problems in the elderly, medical experts from home and abroad told a cataract treatment forum in the city over the weekend.
The incidence of cataracts among Chinese between 60 and 89 years old is 80 percent. While presbyopia, an eye problem common as people age, is also growing. More than 200 million elderly people in China suffer both cataracts and presbyopia.
Dr Wilson Takashi Hida, from Brazil, said laser cataract therapy has become more widespread, particularly in Western countries. Compared with the traditional surgical approach, a laser operation is more precise and minimally invasive.
"There were 637,000 such laser operations conducted worldwide in 2020, about 51 percent was completed in the US and 14 percent in the Europe," he said. "Patients between 45 and 64 years old account for the highest quantity."
Dr Li Wensheng, from Shanghai Ai'er Eye Hospital, said a rising demand for clinical service and higher life quality are boosting technological reform and renovation.
"Laser surgery is the most advanced surgical method for cataracts and it can solve other eye problems like presbyopia and astigmatism at the same time through customized treatment and proper choice of intraocular lens," Li said.
