New era in cataract surgery at the REI

Patients undergoing cataract surgery at the REI in Derriford Hospital can now benefit from a revolutionary new computer assisted cataract surgery system, which includes robotic-like tracking and data displaying through the operating microscopes.

This new system provides better visual outcomes for patients and is now available at Derriford Hospital, among few selected centres in the world. The equipment necessary for this high-tech surgery has become available through a collaboration between the Trust’s modernisation programme and a generous donation from the League of Friends of the Plymouth REI.

Professor Nabil Habib, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the REI, said: "The new system - Callisto eye Assistance - incorporated in the world renown ‘Carl Zeiss’ microscopes includes many functions such as incision, surgical steps and lens implant orientation assistants as well as ‘markless’ eye tracking.

Ann James, Chief Executive“The patient first has their eye metrics and reference images recorded with high-precision, high-accuracy, ultralong-range optical coherence tomography and then the data is relayed remotely from the clinic to the operating room to optimise the workflow. These many computer assistant functions enable better standardisation of the surgery and better reproducibility, resulting in excellent visual outcomes."

Members of the League of Friends of the Plymouth REI as well as Ann James, Chief Executive of Derriford Hospital, attended the official handover of the new equipment.