COLUMBUS, Neb. -- A Nebraska hospital is getting new state-of-the-art equipment for cataract surgeries.

Columbus Community Hospital's the surgery center has added a new phacoemulsification (phaco) machine, which provides an ultrasonic frequency system for cataract surgeries.

A cataract is part of a person's natural eye lens. Over time, the lens ages, causing it to become hard and brittle. The phaco machine allows ophthalmologists to break up the hardened, cloudy lens using ultrasonic frequencies and a pump to remove the particles.

"We've been offering phacoemulsification cataract surgery in Columbus for more than 30 years," said Dr. Peter Diedrichsen, ophthalmologist with Eye Physicians P.C. "During that timeframe, we've had four or five different phaco machines. As technology evolves, new safety and efficiency features become available with the equipment."

Before phaco machines, patients needed larger incisions to remove the old lens, resulting in increased recovery time, higher infection risk and an overnight hospital stay. Now, ophthalmologists who use the phaco machine can perform more stable surgeries with lower complication rates and shorter recovery times.

"The newly acquired Alcon Centurion phacoemulsification unit is the premier machine currently available for cataract surgery," said Dr. Andrew Baldwin, ophthalmologist with Faith Regional Physician Services. "The machine allows for a more efficient surgery, often resulting in less postoperative swelling and faster vision recovery. It also has state-of-the-art technology to make cataract surgery safer."

Billi Benson, director of the Columbus Surgery Center, said with the evolution of technology, the facility was looking to update its machine, and the Alcon Centurion phaco machine proved to be the best fit for the surgery center.

"The surgery center strives to provide the latest technology, giving our patients the best and most optimal outcomes regarding their vision," she said. "We know most facilities are training ophthalmologists on Alcon phaco machines. Therefore, when we were looking to upgrade our technology, we wanted to have a machine our doctors were familiar using that could provide the highest level of care possible."