May 2005
Volume 46, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   May 2005
An Experimental Animal Study of the Use of the Fugo Blade (Plasma Blade) in Corneal Surgery
V. Peponis; P. Rosenberg; S.V. Reddy; J.B. Herz; H.E. Kaufman
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • V. Peponis
    Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
  • P. Rosenberg
    Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
  • S.V. Reddy
    Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
  • J.B. Herz
    Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
  • H.E. Kaufman
    Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships  V. Peponis, None; P. Rosenberg, None; S.V. Reddy, None; J.B. Herz, None; H.E. Kaufman, None.
  • Footnotes
    Support  US PHS grant P30 EY002377
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science May 2005, Vol.46, 2694. doi:
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      V. Peponis, P. Rosenberg, S.V. Reddy, J.B. Herz, H.E. Kaufman; An Experimental Animal Study of the Use of the Fugo Blade (Plasma Blade) in Corneal Surgery . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2005;46(13):2694.

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To evaluate the cutting characteristics of the Fugo Blade, a radiofrequency electrosurgical device that focuses a low power energy field into a column of plasma energy (plasma blade), in performing corneal incisions in rabbit corneas. Methods: Corneal incisions were made using both the Fugo Blade and mechanical blade on eight corneas from four rabbits In the right eye, the cut was performed with the Fugo Blade, and in the left eye the cut was made with a steel mechanical blade. All eyes were followed with slit–lamp examination and photography on days 1, 2, 7 and 14 after surgery. The rabbits were euthanized and the corneas obtained for histopathologic examination on a masked basis, 14 days after surgery. Results: Fugo Blade produced cuts with sharp edges in rabbit corneas, as observed both with slit–lamp biomicroscopy and histological examination. Increasing the Fugo Blade parameters (intensity and power) modified the cutting characteristics, producing deeper and wider cuts. The histological sections of the cuts revealed that the corneal epithelial cells adjacent to the incisions showed normal morphology indicating that the effect of Fugo ablation is confined to the close vicinity of the application site. The collagen fibrils adjacent to the incision also showed regular architecture without any signs of coagulation, thus indicating the mechanical rather than thermal mechanism of Fugo ablation. Slit–lamp and histological comparison of the Fugo Blade and mechanical blade incisions revealed normal wound healing processes without any significant differences between the two incisions. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the Fugo Blade, currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for anterior capsulotomy, can safely create resistance–free cuts in corneal tissue in animals, in a quick, tractionless and atraumatic fashion. We conclude that the Fugo Blade is capable of precise cutting through the corneal tissue and that there are no demonstrable, harmful effects from its use, opening additional avenues for use of this device in corneal surgery.

Keywords: wound healing • cornea: basic science • pathology: experimental 
© 2005, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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