OPMI Lumera is Zeiss' advanced surgical microscope that uses a new form of illumination to dramatically improve red reflex and depth perception during cataract surgery.

"It provides the ability to see ocular structures in greater detail," Brunner says. "It has radically changed the way the ophthalmologist works. What this does is it gives you incredibly stable and strong red reflex and allows you to see in the capsule, depth, clarity and contrast that has been unprecedented and never been there before. It is changing the way people are doing cataract surgery."





Doctors report being able to see cellular layers within the retina and have gained better visibility of the external limiting membrane and, in some patients, the line between the inner and outer photo receptors is more clearly defined.

Making a choice

Just as the arguments go on about which is better between Coke or Pepsi, every doctor has his or her preference for a particular microscope brand.

Dr David Langer specializes in state-of-the art, conventional, and minimally invasive neurological, vascular and spinal surgery at North Shore University Hospital in New York. When he operates, he always chooses a Leica model.

"The new Leica OH5 has a much shorter head, so your hands are closer to the patient, which I think is an advantage, but basically I think the optics are better. I also like the fact that you can use the microscope without using the computer. So, if you use the computer for a video recorder or whatever, you can still use the microscope separately," Langer says. "With Zeiss, it's all essentially a big computer box that runs the microscope, so if the computer crashes or there's some problem with the software, it just doesn't work, which I think is a major disadvantage."

Spetzler has different thoughts about Zeiss.

"I have evaluated and used all surgical microscopes. The Pentero surgical microscope was built with a large input from surgeons such as myself and thus has all the various capabilities that we routinely require to carry out our surgical procedures," he says. "It is exquisitely balanced, allowing the surgeon to steer it with a mouth grip eliminating the need to stop operating in order to reposition the scope. It has a foot control with a joystick that allows angulation of the scope at the same time. It is ergonomically well designed and has excellent video capabilities and appropriate side or cross table optics for an assistant surgeon."

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