Posters
Impact of the learning curve upon femtosecond laser cataract surgery outcomes
Poster Details
First Author: F.Poyales SPAIN
Co Author(s): N. Garzon R. Perez I. Lopez-Brea B. Poyales
Abstract Details
Purpose:
To demonstrate the influence of the surgeon��s and the operating room (OR) technicians�� experience upon the outcome of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS)
Setting:
IOA Madrid Innova Ocular, Madrid, Spain
Methods:
Our study included 600 eyes who had undergone either cataract surgery or clear-crystalline-lens extraction and where capsulorhexis and lens fragmentation had been performed using the CATALYS�Â�® Precision System femtosecond platform (Abbott Medical Optics Inc., Santa Ana, CA, USA). The patients were operated either by an experienced surgeon in the use of femtosecond laser or by an inexperienced surgeon in that field. Furthermore, a total of 5 OR technicians were also involved in these surgical procedures. The quantitative outcome measures were: Suction loss rate, vacuum time, number of cones used by the patient and intraoperative complication rate
Results:
Both for the experienced and the inexperienced surgeons, suction loss rates as well as vacuum time decreased progressively as time went by and more surgical procedures had been completed by that surgeon. The addition of new OR technicians to the surgical procedure resulted in an increase of suction-loss cases and vacuum time values, although they never reached the initial baseline values. Regarding intraoperative complications, they also decreased progressively as the number of procedures completed by the surgeon increased. The most common complication was anterior capsule tear, albeit the occurrence rate was below 1.5% throughout the learning curve.
Conclusions:
The experience of the surgeon and the OR technicians involved in FLACS procedures enhances both the surgery��s safety and its surgical outcomes, thus significantly minimizing potential complications and suction times
Financial Disclosure:
NONE
