title: Effect of femtosecond laser cataract surgery on the macula.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effect of conventional and femtosecond laser-assisted (Alcon LenSx Inc) phacoemulsification on the macula using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty eyes of 20 patients underwent uneventful cataract surgery in both study groups: femtosecond laser-assisted (laser group) and conventional phacoemulsification (control group). Macular thickness and volume were evaluated by OCT preoperatively and 1 week and 1 month postoperatively. Primary outcomes were OCT retinal thickness in 3 macular areas and total macular volume at 1 week and 1 month postoperative. Secondary outcomes were changes in retinal thickness at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively, with respect to preoperative retinal thickness values and effective phacoemulsification time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariable modeling of the effect of surgery on postoperative macular thickness showed significantly lower macular thickness in the inner retinal ring in the laser group after adjusting for age and preoperative thickness across the time course (P=.002). In the control group, the inner macular ring was significantly thicker at 1 week (mean: 21.68 μm; 95% confidence limit [CL]: 11.93-31.44 μm, P<.001). After 1 month, this difference decreased to a mean of 17.56 μm (95% CL: -3.21-38.32 μm, P=.09) and became marginally significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study suggest that femtosecond laser-assisted cataract extraction does not differ in postoperative macular thickness as compared with standard ultrasound phacoemulsification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. ecsedy@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Mónika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ecsedy
authors.forename: Kata
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miháltz
authors.forename: Illés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takács
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Filkorn
authors.forename: Zoltán Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057866:Anterior Capsule of the Lens / Q000601:surgery; D019923:Capsulorhexis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult