New cataract removal technology brings safer, faster relief for eye surgery patients

An Eye on Innovation

Dr. Alan Pollack, ophthalmologist, shows his love for the Centurion Vision System

At Inova Alexandria Hospital, a new device for treating cataracts, called the Centurion Vision System, is making procedures safer and faster, says Ellen Bushmiller, Service Line Leader for the Ophthalmology Department. The technology offers improved surgical control since it adjusts to changes in eye pressure in milliseconds. It also has advanced fluid dynamics, which is crucial for maintaining the shape of the eye as an ultrasound reduces each cataract to fine particles and removes it from the eye.

The system allows for a smoother procedure, Bushmiller says, and that tends to make the entire process go faster; some cataract removals can be done in as little as nine minutes. Because of the speed, patients tend to move less, and that also leads to better outcomes.

Cataract rates in the U.S. and Virginia

The overall rate of cataracts is 17 percent for those in the United States age 40 and over. In Virginia, cataracts affect nearly 600,000 residents.

That’s one of the reasons that cataract procedures have become commonplace — and why innovation matters.

Centurion cataract removal device gets high reviews

Inova has had the Centurion since August, and it’s won praise from both patients and doctors, says Bushmiller. “It’s very normal to feel anxious about a procedure that involves making an incision in your eye when you’re awake,” she notes. “But the way this technology is designed makes it all so efficient and fast, that many patients report feeling very comfortable throughout.”

Seeing Quality Care

To learn more about surgical services at Inova Alexandria Hospital, visit inova.org/IAHsurgery.