Traditional cataract surgery is considered one of the safest procedures in modern medicine, with a high success rate. Still, it does require a handheld blade for corneal and lens capsule incisions. The femtosecond laser improves the precision and safety parameters of the procedure by removing the surgeon's blade from the equation. The 3D imaging used to calibrate the laser allows for precise incisions that can't be matched by a surgeon's hand.
The laser softens the cataract for easier and gentler removal with less laser energy. Laser cataract surgery offers reproducible and predictable outcomes that decrease some risks when these incisions are made with a laser instead of a surgical blade.