Comparative study on the clinical effects of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery

Abstract

Objective To compare the clinical effects of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery (PCS). Methods A prospective nonrandomized parallel cohort study of 212 patients (212 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery were divided into two groups based on the treatment protocol: PCS (112 patients, 112 eyes) and FLACS (100 patients, 100 eyes). The aim of this project was to compare the ultrasound time (UST), cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), aqueous flare, central corneal thickness (CCT), endothelial cell density (ECD), and intraoperative and postoperative complications. The data were compared statistically using a t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. Results The CDE and UST of the FLACS group were reduced by 49.5% and 41.6%, respectively (t=13.24, 16.88, P 0.05). Postoperative aqueous flare was significantly lower in the FLACS at all time points (t=8.95, 10.47, 8.65, 4.58, all P<0.01) and ECD was significantly higher in the FLACS group (t=-4.28, -3.98, -4.19, -4.78, all P<0.01). CCT was significantly lower in the FLACS group on postoperative day 1 (t=12.44, P<0.01). The main complications in the FLACS group included pupillary constriction (15%) and subconjunctival hemorrhage (36%). Conclusion Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery results in significantly lower CDE and UST. It also reduces the severity of postoperative inflammation and corneal endothelial cell loss. Key words: Cataract; Phacoemulsification; Therapy outcome; Femtosecond laser