Amadeus II blade comparable to Amadeus in initial study

PARIS — A second-generation microkeratome is producing results comparable to its predecessor in a trial that commenced earlier this month, according to Eric Donnenfeld, MD. He presented the preliminary results with the new device here at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

In a preliminary review of 100 eyes of 52 patients who underwent LASIK with the Amadeus II microkeratome, Dr. Donnenfeld said there were two small epithelial abrasions, but no buttonholes, no irregular flaps, free flaps or striae were observed.

In the study, 56 eyes were randomized to the 140 µ head and 36 to the 160 µ head, Dr. Donnenfeld said.

“The advantages to this system are that it dramatically decreases the learning curve, freeing up your second hand to perform the ablation,” he said. The Amadeus II has a smaller handpiece and all its components are internalized, he added. Additionally, the system gives voice confirmation at every step.

An initial analysis of the patient data indicated a relatively even flap depth for both the 140 and the 160 head, Dr. Donnenfeld said. The 140 head had a mean flap cut of 133.89 microns, and the 160 had a 143.16 mean cut depth.

“What we saw was some nice bunching with the 140 head, and the 160 head also had a nice cluster,” he said.