Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, of OCLI’s Garden City office now uses lasers to treat cataracts

Twenty-five years ago, ophthalmologist Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD was one of the first surgeons in the world to perform laser vision correction. In 2011, Dr. Donnenfeld again became one of the first surgeons to use a laser to perform cataract surgery.  Long Island’s first laser enhanced and customized cataract surgery was performed at Island Eye Surgicenter in Carle Place using the Alcon LenSx® Femtosecond Laser.  Dr. Donnenfeld, a founding partner of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island (OCLI), practices in Garden City and is a clinical professor of ophthalmology at NYU, is one of the most experienced surgeons in the U.S. with this laser. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed operation in the United States with over 3 million cases performed annually.  Today, visual rehabilitation following cataract surgery may be significantly enhanced with the implantation of a lens designed to correct refractive error.  The addition of this exciting laser technology adds a new level of precision and predictability to the procedure that simply was not possible with conventional manual surgery. Dr. Donnenfeld now performs about 500 laser cataract procedures a year.

“Laser refractive cataract surgery is without a doubt the most technologically advanced option for cataract patients,” said Dr. Eric Donnenfeld. “Before this technology was available, many of the most challenging steps during cataract surgery were performed manually with a blade.  With the laser, doctors can offer their patients previously unachievable precision and reliability for refractive cataract surgery.”