Femtosecond laser cataract surgery: results of a contralateral, comparative single-center study

Session Details

Session Title: Femtocataract I

Session Date/Time: Sunday 14/09/2014 | 08:00-10:00

Paper Time: 08:42

Venue: Boulevard A

First Author: : M.Holzer GERMANY

Co Author(s): :    A. Fitting   M. Attia   F. Auerbach   R. Khoramnia   T. Rabsilber   G. Auffarth

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To compare cataract surgery outcomes with one eye performed using a femtosecond laser and the fellow eye with conventional surgery (manual continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and phacoemulsification) in terms of capsulotomy parameters, phacotime and functional results.

Setting:

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Methods:

In this contralateral, comparative, randomized, prospective, single-centre study 60 eyes of 30 patients with a median age of 72.5 years (range 45 – 82 years) underwent cataract surgery. On one eye of each patient capsulotomy and lens fragmentation were performed with the VICTUS Femtosecond Laser Platform (Bausch+Lomb/Technolas Perfect Vision). In the fellow eye the manual technique was used. Examinations were performed preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively evaluating functional results, flare, endothelial cell count, wavefront measurements as well as slit-lamp findings and IOL photos.

Results:

The size and centration of capsulotomies performed with the femtosecond laser were closer to the intended size than in the manual group. Median effective phaco time (EPT) was statistically significantly lower (Wilcoxon p = 0.0107) in the laser group compared to the manually performed surgeries, whereas the average phaco time did not show a statistically significant difference between both groups (7.83 vs. 13.71 seconds). The median endothelial cell loss showed no statistically significant differences. Three months postoperatively median UDVA was 0.17 logMAR (range: 0.72 to -0.12 logMAR) in the femtosecond laser group and 0.08 logMAR (range: 0.96 to -0.20 logMAR) in the manual group. Median CDVA was -0.04 logMAR (range: 0.24 to -0.20 logMAR) and -0.05 logMAR (range: 0.32 to -0.20 logMAR), respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between both groups in terms of visual acuity as well as achieved vs. target refraction (+0.20 vs. +0.36 D). One day and one week after surgery the flare values showed no significant difference (one day: 19.40 vs 13.20 p/ms and one week: 13.20 vs. 13.20 p/ms).

Conclusions:

In this contralateral comparative study femtosecond laser treated eyes showed a closer to intended capsulotomy size and significant reduction in EPT whereas flare values were not statistically different between laser and manual technique. Visual outcomes were similar in both groups.

Financial Interest:

One or more of the authors... research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, One or more of the authors... travel has been funded, fully or partially, by a competing company, One or more of the authors... travel has been funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented, One or more of the authors... research is funded, fully or partially, by a competing company