Bochner Eye Institute Offers Laser Cataract Surgery with Catalys Precision Laser System to Toronto Patients

Bochner Eye Institute becomes the first centre in Canada to offer state-of-the-art cataract surgery with the CatalysTM Precision Laser System from OptiMedica. Catalys combines a femtosecond laser, advanced 3D Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging, sophisticated software and a host of other unique features that enable surgeons to provide patients a gentle, highly customized procedure with unprecedented precision.

"Although traditional cataract surgery is considered to be one of the safest and most successful procedures performed in medicine today, most of the steps are still performed manually with a surgical blade, a bent needle, forceps, or chopper," says Dr. Raymond Stein, Medical Director, Bochner Eye Institute. "Laser Cataract Surgery can now automate these steps, adding a greater amount of precision to the entire cataract procedure and potentially make surgery even safer and more predictable," added Dr. Stein, who is involved in a clinical study to determine the safety and effectiveness of the Catalys System.

The Catalys laser system has undergone research and development over the past 9 years and is now approved for clinical use in more than 10 countries around the world. It was designed from the ground up specifically for cataract surgery. The eye docking system limits the rise in intraocular pressure to 10 mm Hg, which is significantly lower than other systems. The surgeon can customize the architecture of the corneal wounds to create multiplanar incisions as well as arcuate incisions at a precise depth, length, location, and angle. Fragmentation of the nucleus into small pieces reduces the amount of phacoemulsification by 96% even with 4+ nuclear cataracts. The Catalys Precision Laser System represents the next generation of technology and has been shown in clinical study to deliver precision that is unequaled in the industry.

"Laser cataract surgery is the most significant advancement in cataract surgery over the past 50 years," says Dr. Albert Cheskes, Medical Director, Bochner Eye Institute. "Internationally, the Catalys precision laser system has shown excellent results for highly circular, strong and well-positioned capsulorhexis, and safer and less technically difficult removal of the cataract with almost complete elimination of phacoemulsification."

"With standard cataract surgery the percentage of patients seeing 20/20 without correction is significantly lower than that seen with laser vision correction (60% versus 90%)," says Dr Raymond Stein. "A reproducible precise capsulorhexis improves the predictability of the final resting position of the intraocular implant and as a result has been shown to enhance the refractive outcome. A precise capsulotomy can also reduce implant tilt or decentration and as a consequence decreases the induction of higher-order aberrations. Laser technology may allow ophthalmologists to meet the demands of cataract patients to the same level that has been accomplished with laser vision correction."

OptiMedica President and Chief Executive Officer Mark J. Forchette commented "We are very honoured to add the Bochner Eye Institute to our esteemed global list of surgeon customers. They are a world-class practice known for offering only the best technology, and we are delighted they have selected Catalys as the laser cataract surgery platform of choice for their patients."

The Catalys Precision Laser System was developed by OptiMedica® Corp. (Sunnyvale, Calif., USA) in close collaboration with a Medical Advisory Board of cataract experts from around the world. Catalys was CE mark approved in August 2011 and market cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2011. The system is available at leading ophthalmic centers around the world after receiving approval in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

For more information regarding precision laser cataract surgery with Catalys at Bochner Eye Institute, please call 416-960-2020 or visit Bochner.com.

About OptiMedica
OptiMedica Corp. is a Silicon Valley-based global ophthalmic device company dedicated to developing performance-driven technologies that improve patient outcomes. Exclusively focused in the cataract therapeutic area, the company has developed the Catalys Precision Laser System to deliver unparalleled precision in cataract surgery. For more information, please visit www.optimedica.com.

About Bochner Eye Institute
Bochner Eye Institute is a tertiary eye-care facility that was founded by Dr Maxwell Bochner in 1929 and devoted to providing leading-edge technology and excellence in patient care. The surgeons were among the first in North America to offer laser vision correction, corneal crosslinking, topography-linked PRK for irregular corneas, phakic implants, and cataract surgery in a government-approved free-standing facility. The surgeons have written more than 35 textbooks and hundreds of scientific articles.