Effect of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery on posterior capsule opacification in the human capsular bag in-vitro

Session Details

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

Session Date/Time: Monday 09/10/2017 | 08:30-10:30

Paper Time: 09:50

Venue: Room 4.4

First Author: : W.Mayer GERMANY

Co Author(s): :    A. von Studnitz   M. Shajari   D. Sokrates   S. Priglinger   T. Kohnen   C. Wertheimer     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To compare the rate of lens epithelial cell growth and survival in the human capsular bag in-vitro between conventional cataract surgery using phacoemulsification (Phaco) technique and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS).

Setting:

Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, RealEyes Laser Eye Center Munich, Germany

Methods:

Fifteen cadaver eyes from 8 human donors underwent four types of cataract surgery, i.e. FLACSstd using standard laser pulse energy levels (n=3), FLACSmax (n=3) using maximal energy levels, PHACO using phacoemulsification alone (n=6) and extracapsular cataract extraction using hydrodissection (ECCE, n=3). An Alcon SA60AT IOL was implanted. The capsular bag was then transferred into equal cell culture conditions. Cellular growth of lens epithelial cells was observed and foto-documented. The time until full cell-coverage of the capsular bag was measured. In addition, immunohistochemical analyses concerning tissue-fibrosis for posterior capsule opacification was performed using markers for aSMA, DAPI, Collagene-1 and Fibronectin.

Results:

For this study we established a human capsular bag model by using femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. There was no statistically significant difference in time until cell-coverage of the human donor capsular bag in-vitro in all four surgical settings (p>0.05 in all comparisons). Immunohistochemical markers for fibrosis were equally distributed and equally positive in all treatment groups.

Conclusions:

In our in-vitro human capsular bag model, we could not observe differences in PCO formation in all analysed surgical procedures and in between different laser pulse energy settings in FLACS surgery. Therefore, PCO formation might not be attributed to the types of surgery.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE