Abstract
Purpose :
Femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) may allow for more efficient cataract extraction
and reduced ultrasound energy used during cataract surgery as compared to conventional
phacoemulsification. IOP reduction from phacoemulsification may be related to the amount of ultrasound
energy used in surgery, and the effect of FLACS on IOP reduction after cataract surgery is not known.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in IOP-lowering effect of phacoemulsification for
patients receiving FLACS versus conventional phacoemulsification.
Methods :
We conducted a retrospective study in a private practice and ophthalmology ambulatory surgical center
on 251 consecutive uncomplicated uncombined cataract surgeries performed from February 2014 to July
2015. Pre-operative and postoperative data for up to 3 years was collected. Three surgeons performed
both FLACS and conventional phacoemulsification. One eye from each patient was selected and patients
with glaucoma or those with incomplete pre-operative IOP data were excluded. Demographic and
intraoperative variables collected included age, operative eye, procedure performed, average
preoperative intraocular pressure preop, and postoperative IOP at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year,
2 years, and 3 years. When available, the average of three pre-operative IOP values was taken. SPSS
was used to conduct data analysis.
Results :
147 eyes met inclusion criteria. The average age of patients undergoing cataract surgery was 67.8 +/-
9.8 years. 55 (37.4%) eyes underwent FLACS and 92 (62.6%) conventional phacoemulsification. The
average IOP pre-operatively was 16.5 +/-2.6 mm Hg and the reduction in IOP at 6 months, 1 year, 2
years, and 3 years respectively was 1.6 +/- 2.4 mmHg, 1.1 +/- 3.1 mm Hg, 1.6 +/- 3.2 mm Hg and 1.5 +/-
1.8 mm Hg. Higher pre-operative IOP resulted in a greater reduction in IOP at 1 year (beta = -0.36, P =
0.02) and 2 years (beta = -0.69, P < 0.01) postoperatively. There was no statistically significant difference in
IOP reduction between FLACS versus conventional phacoemulsification at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or
3 years postoperatively.
Conclusions :
In this sample of eyes, there is no difference in the IOP-lowering effect from FLACS as compared to conventional phacoemulsification.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.