Specialist distributor of surgical equipment Hospital Services Limited (HSL) has supplied and installed Ireland’s-first state-of-the-art ophthalmic laser within the ophthalmology department at UPMC Kildare Hospital. The Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z8 laser will revolutionise the patient experience when it comes to laser eye surgery due to its less-invasive design and precise performance.

Whereas traditional microkeratome laser procedures use a blade to cut a flap into the cornea and allow lasers to reshape and correct the patient’s vision, the Ziemer femtosecond laser installed at UPMC Kildare Hospital offers a bladeless alternative. Using very short pulses of energy, the Ziemer laser creates tiny gas bubbles that employ the same entry incisions as the microkeratome laser procedure, without using a blade. The Ziemer laser results in clearer vision and no increase in visual complaints observed in the eyes after corneal refractive surgery, compared to the more common microkeratome procedure.

The technology will allow patients to avail of a more comfortable, individually tailored eye health experience by precisely pinpointing the locations at which it will separate the eye tissues, ensuring a custom procedure perfectly designed for each patient. To ensure the best possible surgical results, advanced patient interfaces for both cataract and corneal surgery have been developed especially for the Ziemer laser. The patient interfaces are one-piece devices with hydrogel contact lenses that are positioned within the laser to prevent corneal folds that can interfere with the introduction of the laser energy into the eye.

The highly flexible and intuitive articulated arm and the laser’s unique architecture enable for seamless integration into an ophthalmologist’s established surgical workflow. The unique design enables patients to stay in one place throughout the duration of their procedure, ensuring the highest degree of comfort for the surgeon and the patient as well as a sterile and more efficient procedure. The specially-designed laser delivers a gentler surgery as it uses very low energy, is ultrafast and is highly accurate. Patients will be left with minimal wound healing reactions and no damage to cells.

Innovation is one of HSL’s core values and ensuring patient care is the company’s main priority. This technological solution provided by HSL will help contribute to a better outcome for the large number of patients who undergo laser eye surgery each year at UPMC Kildare Hospital, resulting in superior eye health throughout Ireland.

Commenting on UPMC’s new Ziemer laser, HSL CEO Dominic Walsh said,

“We are delighted to introduce Ireland’s first Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z8 ophthalmic laser to UPMC Kildare Hospital. The only hospital on the island of Ireland to currently have access to this world-class technology, UPMC Kildare Hospital is now leading the way for eye health in Ireland. The mobile laser will ensure optimum surgical results and patient comfort, which is vital for outstanding patient care. We are looking forward to seeing the great work that comes out of the ophthalmology department over the coming months and continuing to support the team in the roll out of this fantastic technology.”

It is the Ziemer laser’s versatility that allows ophthalmologists’ demands to be met through one innovative technology. It can be used during refractive laser eye surgery, laser cataract surgery, therapeutic procedures and for surgical planning by OCT imaging.

“To have Ireland’s first Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z8 ophthalmic laser installed within UPMC Kildare Hospital is momentous for us,”

Said Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Prof Michael O’Keefe.

“We are extremely thankful to the team at HSL for working with us over an eight-week period to install the technology and train our team on how to use the laser most efficiently and precisely. It is a huge privilege to be the first in Ireland to use the Ziemer Z8 model during vital eye surgeries, whilst being able to provide our patients with a more comfortable procedure that offers a higher chance of success.”

The Ziemer Z8 model has also been built with Lenticule Application – Corneal Lenticule Extraction for Advanced Refractive Correction (CLEAR) which is a newly developed and proprietary application intended for the treatment of Myopia (short-sightedness) and Astigmatism (uneven light focus causing blurriness). One of the key advantages of CLEAR is that cornea incisions can be crafted and positioned with a high degree of precision, thereby greatly improving the predictability, effectiveness and stability of such intricate procedures.

The mobile Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z8 model is unique, offering the highest repetition rate of any femtosecond laser. The model features overlapping laser spots that result in, complete resections free of tissue bridges, smooth stromal beds, high precision and predictability and capsule edges that are hard to distinguish from edges seen in conventional surgery.