Laser Cataract Surgery – A Tsunami to Ophthalmology?

Laser assisted cataract surgery (LACS) was introduced to ophthalmology in 2010 with the FDA approval of the LenSx 550 femtosecond laser. At that time, LenSx was a privately held company and today it is owned by Alcon, the largest eye care company in the world.

The Market
Today there are nearly 400 femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery placed in the United States. Alcon leads this market with an eye-popping estimated 70% share and this should come as no surprise given their dominance in the industry. The term “placed” in the United States is what may prove to be the gradual, rising seismic event that impacts our industry for years to come and is the commercial strategy used by the three companies who comprise the other 30% of the market.

What intrigues people about this market is the raw size of the US cataract market, it is huge by any standard.