title: Central corneal volume and endothelial cell count following femtosecond laser-assisted refractive cataract surgery compared to conventional phacoemulsification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effect of conventional phacoemulsification and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery on the cornea using Scheimpflug imaging and noncontact specular microscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In each group, 38 eyes (38 patients) underwent cataract surgery using either femtosecond laser-assisted (Alcon LenSx laser) (femtolaser group) or conventional phacoemulsification (phaco group). Central corneal thickness, 3-mm corneal volume, and Pentacam Nucleus Staging (PNS) were determined by a rotating Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam HR, Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH), and the volume stress index was calculated at 1 day and 1 month postoperatively. Endothelial cell count was measured by noncontact specular microscopy preoperatively, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Central corneal thickness was significantly higher in the phaco group (607±91 μm) than in the femtolaser group (580±42 μm) on day 1, but did not differ significantly preoperatively and at 1 week and 1 month. Volume stress index at day 1 was significantly lower in the femtolaser group than in the phaco group (P<.05) but did not differ significantly at 1 month. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the type of surgery had a significant effect on central corneal thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery causes less corneal swelling in the early postoperative period and may cause less trauma to corneal endothelial cells than manual phacoemulsification.
authors.affiliation: Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. agnesildiko@freemail.hu
authors.forename: Agnes I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Takács
authors.forename: Illés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Kata
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miháltz
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Filkorn
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Knorz
authors.forename: Zoltán Z
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002452:Cell Count; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology