Thailand's Siriraj Hospital successfully uses laser to remove cataracts

BANGKOK, July 8 (TNA) - Bangkok-based Siriraj Hospital is the first Thai school of medicine to have successfully used laser to remove cataracts in patients. Clinical Professor of Medicine Udom Kachintorn, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hosptial, told a press conference on Monday that, regarding the latest innovation, the Femtosecond laser is beamed to cataracts to dissolve them and they are then sucked out before lens replacement. According to the dean, the process takes about 30 minutes, while surgical wounds are neater and the treatment can also cure astigmatism. Professor Dr. Sabong Srivannaboon, Director of the SiLASIK vision treatment center, acknowledged that the laser has, so far, been successfully used to treat 32 cataracts patients at Siriraj Hospital, with the treatment cost of 28,000-30,000 baht each. Doctors have recommended that people prevent cataracts by eating food which is good to their eyes, namely green leaves, yellow vegetables and fruits including pumpkins and carrots. Besides, people should wear sunglasses and those aged 40 and over should have their eyes checked regularly. Cataracts result from the deterioration of people's eye lenses due to aging and were conventionally cured with the replacement of eye lenses. (TNA)