Comparison of mean phacoemulsification energy with femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional phacoemulsification

Session Details

Session Title: Femtolaser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS) I

Session Date/Time: Sunday 08/10/2017 | 08:00-10:00

Paper Time: 08:36

Venue: Room 3.6

First Author: : A.Akman TURKEY

Co Author(s): :    L. Asena   S. Gur Gungor   S. Cezairlioglu              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To compare the effect of conventional phacoemulsification and femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) on mean cumulative dissipated energy (CDE).

Setting:

Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara, Turkey.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing cataract surgery between September 2016 and February 2017 by one single surgeon in one surgical center; 214 patients with 250 eyes were identified. 110 eyes had conventional phacoemulsification and 140 eyes had FLACS. A cruciate pattern with two central cylindrical components was used as the femtosecond laser protocol. A torsional phacoemulsification system with active fluidics was used for emulsification of the lens nucleus. Preoperative lens density measured with the Scheimpflug system, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity and CDE were recorded. Lens density and CDE for both groups were compared by the student’s t-test.

Results:

Mean preoperative lens density was 37.5±11.4 and 39.6±14.8 in FLACS and conventional cataract surgery groups respectively (p=0.85). The mean preoperative Snellen best corrected visual acuities were 0,43±0.17 and 0.41±0.17 and increased to 0.97±0.09 and 0.92±0.17 postoperatively in FLACS and conventional cataract surgery groups respectively. The mean CDE for FLACS versus traditional phacoemulsification was 4.35±2.90 and 4.09±2.39 (p=0.30).

Conclusions:

FLACS is an emerging technology as an alternative to conventional phacoemulsification. Using the cruciate pattern femtosecond fragmentation technique, mean phacoemulsification energy used in both groups was equivalent as determined by eventual CDE. Development of more effective femtosecond laser techniques like grid pattern fragmentation are necessary for further reduction of phacoemulsification energy used.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE