title: Anterior chamber flare after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether postoperative ocular inflammation is less after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery than after conventional phacoemulsification (manual) cataract surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Private clinic, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective consecutive investigator-masked nonrandomized parallel cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive cataract patients who had femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery or manual cataract surgery by the same surgeon at a single center were assessed. The primary endpoint was postoperative aqueous flare measured by laser flare photometry at 1 day and 4 weeks. Secondary endpoints included retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography and slitlamp examination findings at 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The per-protocol population comprised 176 patients (100 in laser group; 76 in manual group). Postoperative aqueous flare was significantly greater in the manual cataract surgery group at 1 day (P=.0089) and at 4 weeks (P=.003). There was a significant correlation between effective phacoemulsification time and 1-day postoperative aqueous flare (r = 0.35, P<.0001). The increase in outer zone thickness measured by optical coherence tomography was less in the laser group (P=.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior segment inflammation was less after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery than after manual cataract surgery, and this appeared to be due to a reduction in phacoemulsification energy.
authors.affiliation: Tasmanian Eye Institute, the Launceston Eye Institute, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Robin G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Abell
authors.forename: Penelope L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Vote
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057866:Anterior Capsule of the Lens / Q000601:surgery; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology*; D019923:Capsulorhexis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification / Q000379:methods*; D010783:Photometry / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*