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Tighter grid spacing reduces energy expenditure in femto cataract surgery
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AMSTERDAM — The goal of phacoemulsificaion in cataract surgery is to preserve ocular tissue and induce less trauma, as well as improve quality of vision, according to a presenter here.
“I think most of us can appreciate the elegance of using laser in cataract surgery and certainly the appeal is obvious to many of us who have either tried it or have been closely watching,” John A. Vukich, MD, said in a presentation at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting. “We are having difficulty saying this makes an absolute difference, but perhaps we can also see advantage by improving the quality of the surgery in terms of the gentleness of the surgery.”
John A. Vukich
Vukich and colleagues examined this question in a prospective randomized study of patients with Lens Opacity Classification System grade III cataract undergoing lens softening with the Catalys Precision Laser System (Abbott Medical Optics). A 500-micron lens-softening grid pattern was cut into 80 eyes and a 350-micron grid pattern was cut in another 80. Fragmentation volume was maximized based on full volume three-dimensional optical coherence tomography and surface maps, with a 500-micron safety zone from the posterior capsule.
Using the 350-micron pattern, effective phaco time was reduced by 86%, Vukich said.
Presumed patient advantages include faster visual recovery, less corneal inflammation and reduced endothelial cell loss, Vukich said.
Disclosure: Vukich is a consultant for Abbott Medical Optics.