title: Femtosecond laser capsulotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a femtosecond laser system to create the capsulotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Porcine and cadaver eye studies were performed at OptiMedica Corp., Santa Clara, California, USA; the human trial was performed at the Centro Laser, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental and clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Capsulotomies performed by an optical coherence tomography-guided femtosecond laser were evaluated in porcine and human cadaver eyes. Subsequently, the procedure was performed in 39 patients as part of a prospective randomized study of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. The accuracy of the capsulotomy size, shape, and centration were quantified and capsulotomy strength was assessed in the porcine eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Laser-created capsulotomies were significantly more precise in size and shape than manually created capsulorhexes. In the patient eyes, the deviation from the intended diameter of the resected capsule disk was 29 μm ± 26 (SD) for the laser technique and 337 ± 258 μm for the manual technique. The mean deviation from circularity was 6% and 20%, respectively. The center of the laser capsulotomies was within 77 ± 47 μm of the intended position. All capsulotomies were complete, with no radial nicks or tears. The strength of laser capsulotomies (porcine subgroup) decreased with increasing pulse energy: 152 ± 21 mN for 3 μJ, 121 ± 16 mN for 6 μJ, and 113 ± 23 mN for 10 μJ. The strength of the manual capsulorhexes was 65 ± 21 mN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The femtosecond laser produced capsulotomies that were more precise, accurate, reproducible, and stronger than those created with the conventional manual technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, the Mid-Peninsula Ophthalmology Medical Group, Palo Alto, USA. njfmd@pol.net
authors.forename: Neil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Daniel V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Palanker
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schuele
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcellino
authors.forename: Barry S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Seibel
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Batlle
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Feliz
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Talamo
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Blumenkranz
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Culbertson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D019923:Capsulorhexis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013552:Swine; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence