Femtosecond laser-induced macular changes and anterior segment inflammation in cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To compare femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with standard phacoemulsification concerning the incidence of postoperative clinical or subclinical macular edema and the correlation between macular thickness and postoperative intraocular inflammation values.


METHODS
One hundred four eyes of 104 patients were treated by laser-assisted cataract surgery and the fellow 104 eyes underwent phacoemulsification using pulsed ultrasound energy and intraocular lens implantation in this prospective randomized study. Laser flare photometry was measured preoperatively and at 2 hours, 3 to 4 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Retinal thickness was measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.


RESULTS
Two hundred two eyes (97%) were included and analyzed at 6 months postoperatively. The mean center thickness in the laser group was 210 ± 24 μm at 4 days postoperatively, 214 ± 22 μm at 1 month postoperatively, 219 ± 20 μm at 3 months postoperatively, and 215 ± 22 μm at 6 months postoperatively. The mean center thickness in the standard group was 211 ± 32 μm at 4 days postoperatively, 210 ± 34 μm at 1 month postoperatively, 217 ± 29 μm at 3 months postoperatively, and 209 ± 30 μm at 6 months postoperatively. Laser flare photometry showed higher levels in the standard group at the first postoperative visit 2 hours after surgery compared with the laser group.


CONCLUSIONS
Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery did not obviously influence the incidence of postoperative macular edema.
Ina
I
Conrad-Hengerer
Fritz H
FH
Hengerer
Mayss
M
Al Juburi
Tim
T
Schultz
H Burkhard
HB
Dick
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000869:Anterior Eye Segment / Q000473:pathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D053685:Laser Therapy; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D010783:Photometry; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology