Lens Replacement in Israel: The Most Modern and Safe Techniques

Indications for Lens Replacement Surgery

Lens replacement is a standard routine surgery performed in large numbers in Israel. Instead of suffering from gradual vision loss up to complete blindness, the patient spends just one hour and immediately feels a positive result.

Doctors recommend performing the surgery for cataracts, and the earlier the stage of the disease, the easier the vision recovery. In cataracts, the lens becomes cloudy, which reduces its refractive ability, and the person gradually loses vision.

Severe hyperopia or myopia that cannot be corrected by laser correction, as well as situations where the lens is damaged due to trauma, may also indicate the need for lens replacement.

Before performing the surgery, doctors conduct a comprehensive examination, during which they accurately study the clinical picture and choose the most appropriate type of intervention.

How Lens Replacement is Performed

Previously, the surgery involved making an incision with microsurgical instruments, replacing the lens with an artificial one, and then suturing. This method is considered more traumatic than modern techniques: there was a risk of infection through a sufficiently large surgical wound, healthy eye tissues were damaged, and there was a risk of complications.

Currently, in Israel, a procedure called phacoemulsification is performed, achieving positive results in 90% of cases. The surgical intervention occurs in several stages and is performed under local anesthesia.

• Making a corneal incision. A microscopic incision (from 1.5 to 3 mm) is made on the cornea. A thin needle is inserted into this incision, which will perform all subsequent manipulations.
• Opening the lens capsule. The lens capsule is opened with a disposable injection needle.
• Fragmentation of the lens. To extract the damaged lens with minimal trauma to surrounding healthy tissues, it is fragmented into separate pieces. Fragmentation is performed using ultrasound or laser, with a special needle previously inserted into the cornea serving as the conductor of laser or ultrasound waves.
• Ultrasound fragmentation is primarily used when the lens opacities are minor. The gentle nature of the impact allows ultrasound to be used even in surgeries on children. The needle tip makes translational movements that lead to the fragmentation of the lens. The advantage of this method is that the ophthalmic surgeon leaves the back part of the capsule intact, which is then used to place the implant.
• Laser fragmentation. When the lens damage is more severe, for example, if it has hardened, fragmentation cannot be performed with ultrasound. Previously, there was only one treatment option — traditional surgery with sutured access. Currently, in Israel, it has been replaced with a less traumatic option — laser beam treatment. The laser allows for effective fragmentation while maintaining high precision of impact, and surrounding healthy tissues are not injured.
• Aspiration of parts of the damaged lens. The aspiration technique allows for the extraction of lens fragments from the capsule without mechanically damaging healthy tissues. Aspiration is performed using a special vacuum instrument that literally sucks in the lens fragments.
• Implantation of the prosthesis (intraocular lens). An intraocular lens is implanted in place of the destroyed lens. To avoid damaging surrounding tissues, it is introduced into the capsule in a folded state. In the capsule, the lens unfolds itself and is securely fixed in the desired position. The lenses used in Israeli ophthalmological centers are modern, high-quality implants that are fully compatible with human tissues.
  The duration of the surgery is about 10-15 minutes. The surgical incisions do not require suturing; they heal on their own. Vision is restored either immediately after the surgery or shortly thereafter.
• Extracapsular extraction. In some cases, when doctors observe an advanced stage of cataract, performing phacoemulsification is not possible. In these situations, Israeli ophthalmic surgeons perform a more extensive surgical intervention, requiring sutures. However, even this type of surgery is performed as gently as possible by Israeli doctors. For example, to safely extract the lens, a method of deep freezing (cryoextraction) is used. The surgical instrument is cooled to extremely low temperatures and is inserted into the core of the lens. The lens "sticks" to the cold surface of the instrument, allowing for its extraction to occur as gently as possible. Surgeons, when possible, preserve the back part of the lens capsule, thereby providing a barrier between the vitreous body and the front part of the eye.

Cost of Lens Replacement in Israel