|Articles|April 19, 2015

Adequate suction does not guarantee safety in femto

In the first study to directly compare two femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery, both were considered safe and efficacious-but surgeons should be alert to eyes that move while under the docking station, said Seth M. Pantanelli, MD, MS.

In the first study to directly compare two femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery, both were considered safe and efficacious-but surgeons should be alert to eyes that move while under the docking station, said Seth M. Pantanelli, MD, MS.

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Platforms included in the study were the LenSx (Alcon Laboratories) and Catalys (Abbott Medical Optics) femtosecond lasers.

“Femtosecond laser for cataract comprises more than 2.5% of U.S. cataract surgeries,” he said. “There is mounting evidence on its advantages, including decreased energy/time and more precise astigmatic keratotomies.”

However, there still remains controversy over the devices’ advantages, as there has been an association with pupillary miosis and a higher incidence of capsular complications, said Dr. Patenelli, who is in practice in Hershey, PA.

“Some recent papers suggest the learning curve is responsible for the increase in complications,” he said.

While still in Miami, Dr. Patanelli and colleagues conducted a prospective comparative case series, with data collected on 97 LenSx and 108 Catalys cases.

For each case, the status of the anterior capsulotomy was classified using the following method:

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