Bladeless all-laser cataract surgery offers several advantages

A novel surgical technique using two lasers has been introduced offering several potential advantages for cataract surgery, according to recently published data in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology.

The study, by Dr A. John Kanellopoulos (LaserVision gr Institute, Athens, Greece), examined the safety and efficacy of cataract extraction using a bladeless all-laser technique that combines femtosecond and nanosecond lasers. In this study, a female patient of 57 years of age underwent cataract extraction using the two lasers and standard phacoemulsification.

To perform the corneal incision, capsulorhexis and initial lens fragmentation in each eye, Dr Kanellopoulos used the femtosecond laser. Then he employed the nanosecond laser to enter the 2.8 mm incision, uni-axially, complete the viscoelastic-divided nucleus fragment emulsification and removal in one eye, while the other eye was completed using phacoemulsification.

Both eyes were implanted with a foldable acrylic intraocular lens in the posterior chamber. The perioperative acuity, refraction, keratometry, Scheimpflug tomography, intraocular pressure, endothelial cell counts and total energy used with each laser were analysed.

After 6 months, the patient's corrected distance visual acuity improved from 20/60 and 20/70 pre-op to 20/20 in both eyes. The total intraocular energy used was slightly different, with 2 J being ued by the femtosecond laser in both eyes but 6 J were used by the phacoemulsification device in the right eye and 2.4 J by the nanosecond laser in the left eye. This alternative technique was therefore, deemed to offer several potential advantages, including lower intraocular energy use and elimination of the possibility of corneal thermal injury.

For more detailed information please view the abstract here.