title: Evaluation of femtosecond laser clear corneal incision: an experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes of corneal topography following femtosecond laser and manual clear corneal incision (CCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Inflation testing was performed in 14 human eye globes to evaluate the topographic response of the cornea to CCIs. In seven samples (femtosecond laser group), a 2.75-mm three-plane CCI was created using the iFS femtosecond laser (Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Santa Ana, CA); the remaining seven samples (control group) received a 2.75-mm manual CCI using disposable angled knives. Topographic maps of the anterior and posterior cornea were acquired using a Scheimpflug topographer Pentacam HR (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany). Keratometric data were used to analyze the curvature changes of the cornea. The changes of corneal astigmatism were analyzed by vector analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After CCI, the mean change of the anterior keratometric power was 0.04 ± 0.39 and 0.05 ± 0.51 diopters (D) (analysis of variance, P > .05) in the femtosecond laser and control groups, respectively. The mean change (P > .05) of the posterior corneal keratometric power was 0.16 ± 0.19 and 0.15 ± 0.18 D, respectively. The average change of the anterior and posterior corneal astigmatism vector magnitude was 0.17 D or less in both groups (P > .05). A slight against-the-rule astigmatic change of the anterior and posterior corneal interfaces was found after both CCI techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 2.75-mm three-plane CCI created with femtosecond laser showed minimal changes of the anterior and posterior corneal topography, comparable with those of single-plane angled manual incision.
authors: Fondazione G B Bietti IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
authors: Sebastiano
authors: S
authors: Serrao
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Lombardo
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Ducoli
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Rosati
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Lombardo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D048988:Corneal Surgery, Laser / Q000379:methods*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014019:Tissue Donors