Femtosecond laser safer for post-vitrectomy cataract surgery

(HealthDay)—Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery demonstrates comparable visual outcomes to conventional phacoemulsification, with a trend toward better intraoperative and postoperative safety, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.

Ellen F. Wang, M.B.Ch.B., from the New Zealand National Eye Centre in Auckland, and colleagues compared visual outcomes and adverse outcomes for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional phacoemulsification among vitrectomized eyes of consecutive patients treated by a single, private-practice surgeon. The last 25 surgeries performed before acquisition of a femtosecond laser and the first 25 performed after acquisition of the laser were included in the study.

The researchers found that while most outcomes, including preoperative logMAR best corrected visual acuity, postoperative logMAR best corrected visual acuity, posterior capsule complications, and cystoid macular edema, were not significantly different between groups, femtosecond-assisted surgery showed a trend toward a better intraoperative and postoperative safety profile. Only postoperative YAG capsulotomy was significantly different between the methods (16 versus 48 percent).

"Femtosecond laser offers a theoretical advantage in reducing complication rates in post-vitrectomy eyes; further larger studies are needed," the authors write.