title: Primary posterior capsulotomy in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery: In vivo spectral-domain optical coherence tomography study.
abstract: To evaluate whether the size of Berger space is safely predictable in patients having cataract surgery using 3-dimensional spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic (3-D SD-OCT) image analysis.
  
  
  
  Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany.
  
  
  
  Prospective interventional case series.
  
  
  
  Eyes having routine femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery were included. After wound closure, the anterior eye segment was visualized using the incorporated 3-D SD-OCT. Visualization of Berger space was performed in the axial and sagittal planes.
  
  
  
  The study comprised 165 consecutive eyes. In 155 eyes, 3-D SD-OCT visualized Berger space and its dimensions were analyzed. In 72% of the cases, Berger space was large enough to perform a femtosecond laser-assisted primary posterior capsulotomy. In 24 eyes (15.5%) with a minimum axial length of 25.0 mm, Berger space was 500 μm or larger.
  
  
  
  Femtosecond laser systems incorporating real-time SD-OCT allowed direct visualization of Berger space intraoperatively, providing surgeons with the information needed to safely create posterior capsulotomies after intraocular lens implantation.
  
  
  
  Dr. Dick is a consultant to Abbott Medical Optics, Inc. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
authors.affiliation: From Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: yesim.sinangin@kk-bochum.de.
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haeussler-Sinangin
authors.affiliation: From Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.affiliation: From Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holtmann
authors.affiliation: From Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: H Burkhard
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Dick
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D064727:Posterior Capsulotomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence