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Studies show advantages of femtosecond laser cataract surgery over manual techniques
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NEW YORK — Femtosecond laser use in cataract surgery for incisions through the nucleus, capsule and cornea improves the reproducibility of the procedure and visual outcomes, according to one of the pioneers of the operation.
 Zoltan Nagy |
Zoltan Nagy, MD, PhD, in his Waring Medal Lecture at OSN New York 2010, shared his clinical experience as the first surgeon to perform femtosecond laser cataract surgery in Budapest, Hungary, with the LenSx system (Alcon). Dr. Nagy reported results of using the femtosecond system to create corneal incisions, capsulotomies and lens liquefaction.
IOL centration is improved through a highly precise capsulorrhexis created with femtosecond laser, leading to improved visual outcomes, Dr. Nagy said. He reported results from a prospective study to compare lens centration and other measurements of 20 eyes receiving femtosecond laser capsulotomies vs. 20 eyes receiving manual capsulotomies.
"In our analysis, we found reduced variability in effective lens position with laser-created capsulotomies compared to manual," he said. "Our results showed significantly better IOL centration in the laser group, which could contribute to better quality of vision."
The femtosecond surgery also created safer self-sealing corneal incisions, and lens removal was improved with less phaco energy utilized, making it safer and more efficient, he said.
The Waring Medal is awarded each year at OSN New York for an outstanding contribution to the Journal of Refractive Surgery, a sister publication of Ocular Surgery News.