Ninth People's Hospital puts into use China's first new-generation robotic all-femtosecond device, with about 10 seconds per eye scan

According to the World Health Organization, the total number of myopia patients in China has reached nearly 600 million. The number of people nationwide undergoing myopia correction surgery continues to grow, and the public's requirements for the safety of myopia correction and postoperative visual experience continue to rise. Minimally invasive SMILE surgery has been in clinical use for more than ten years, and its safety and stability have been clinically verified. The Department of Ophthalmology at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine is a National Key Clinical Specialty and has worked for many years in multiple subspecialties including ocular oncology, orbital diseases, oculoplastic surgery, and corneal refractive surgery. To further meet the regional public's demand for myopia correction diagnosis and treatment and to continuously improve the capacity to supply eye health medical services, Ninth People's Hospital has equipped its North Campus with the first new-generation robotic SMILE refractive diagnosis and treatment device of the same series in China, with a single-eye laser scanning time of about 10 seconds, significantly shorter than the previous generation. On October 30, the device was officially put into clinical use in the Department of Ophthalmology at the North Campus (280 Mohe Road). Chief Physician Guo Tao performing surgery. Guo Tao, chief physician, deputy director of the Department of Ophthalmology at Ninth People's Hospital, member of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, member of the Cataract and Refractive Surgery Group of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the North Campus, introduced that the device's installation at the North Campus further enriched the clinical technical options for myopia correction in the Department of Ophthalmology and expanded clinical diagnosis and treatment choices for people with needs to be free of glasses. After the device was put into use, experts from the ophthalmic refractive team can all perform surgery at the North Campus. The device is equipped with an integrated laser robotic arm and an eye positioning and navigation system. Surgeons can complete laser ablation according to the preoperative examination plan, and the device can automatically assist in completing eye positioning and rotation compensation, ensuring that the ablation position is more centered and more accurate, which is conducive to astigmatism correction, improving nighttime visual performance, and reducing glare, halos, and other conditions. Chief Physician Zhou Jibo in outpatient clinic. Zhou Jibo, chief physician, director of the Optometry Center of the Department of Ophthalmology at Ninth People's Hospital, and member of the Epidemiology and Blindness Prevention Group of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society, introduced that this SMILE surgery is iteratively optimized on the basis of traditional SMILE technology. The laser scanning time is further shortened, and the duration of negative pressure fixation is reduced accordingly. Patients' subjective discomfort during surgery is alleviated, and the visit experience is improved. The new-generation device has a more uniform corneal ablation plane and less impact on corneal tissue, which helps reduce postoperative dry eye discomfort and accelerate recovery. Intraoperative stability is improved, and the range of clinically suitable patients is expanded. It is understood that, on the basis of the previous generation, this device adds an independent high-definition optical microscope, allowing doctors to more clearly complete corneal lenticule extraction under the microscope. This procedure does not create a corneal flap and is flapless and minimally invasive, and can better preserve the biomechanical state of the cornea. Zhang Jing, chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology at Ninth People's Hospital and member of the Optometry Group of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society, has long been engaged in myopia laser correction. She explained that during SMILE surgery, doctors use a laser to cut a thin "corneal lenticule" inside the cornea, and then remove the lenticule through a tiny incision, correcting myopia by changing the shape of the cornea. SMILE laser surgery is a subtraction procedure on the cornea of the eye, not an addition procedure involving implantation of a lens. Whether subtraction or addition surgery, the fundus structure of myopic eyes remains unchanged, and patients with myopia should still have their fundus examined regularly. Experts remind that myopia correction surgery is a medical diagnosis and treatment procedure, and not everyone is suitable for it. Those who need to be free of glasses must complete a comprehensive and systematic preoperative eye examination, and ophthalmology professionals will make a comprehensive assessment based on eye conditions and physical condition to determine whether surgery is feasible and which diagnosis and treatment plan is suitable.