Doctors at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital unveiled a device that they’re calling a Canadian first in ophthalmology on Wednesday.
The state-of-the-art operating microscope allows doctors performing surgery on eyes to make complex procedures more precise.
According to the doctors, it’s primarily used in corneal transplants. Last year, there were roughly 900 such operations performed in Quebec, with about one out of three performed at Maisonneuve-Rosemont. Doctors said that with an aging population, that number will increase.
The $640,000 OPNI Lumera 700 provides surgeons with unprecedented views of the eye, which can lower rejection rates and speeds up recovery time.
“The old fashioned type of transplant removes the entire thickness of the cornea,” said ophthalmologist Julia Talajic. “It’s like taking a cookie cutter for a Christmas cookie and removing the whole thing and then putting a new one in place and suturing it in place. With this procedure, we’re removing the diseased part of the cornea and leaving the rest. The eye is stronger and vision is more quickly recovered.”
