Femtosecond lasers seeing huge growth for cataract surgery

The global market for femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery is growing exponentially and will reach $2.4 billion by 2019, according to Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery: Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, Nanotechnology, 2013 to 2018, a new market report from RnR Market Research of Dallas.

In 2012, the market was valued at $572 million; the company predicts that in 2013, that value will hit $1.1 billion. The drivers for this sudden growth are new competitors in the market, surgeons’ need for greater accuracy in cataract surgery and increasing patient demand for the laser technology.

That demand is expected to continue growing around the world as the aging population develops cataracts. The simultaneous change in demographics and the introduction of automated processes will cause an explosion in demand for ophthalmologists’ services over the next 20 years: Patients older than 65 consume 10 times the eye care of patients younger than 65, creating unprecedented demand for cataract surgery, RnR reported.

Ultrasonic phacoemulsification has been the standard of care in cataract removal equipment for four decades, and RnR predicts that it will remain the dominant lens removal technology in the near term.

But laser-assisted cataract surgery using femtosecond lasers and picosecond lasers promises to raise the standards of precision and safety to new heights. Numerous types and styles of intraocular lenses of varying sizes, along with attachment mechanisms, complement the introduction of the femtosecond laser cataract surgical systems, which enable reproducible, predictable and improved clinical outcomes. Through image-guided visualization and micron-level laser precision, surgeons using these systems can better control the surgery process.