Femtosecond laser technology helps achieve ‘napkin’ capsulotomy

Take-home message: When a capsulotomy is completely separated from the anterior capsule, or free floating, surgeons can simply grasp the capsule and lift it from the eye-literally as easy as lifting a napkin up from a table-thus the “napkin” capsulotomy.

By Robert P. Rivera, MD, Special to Ophthalmology Times

Sandy, UT-All corneas are not created equally. The advent of femtosecond laser cataract surgery has helped cataract surgeons to make remarkable strides in the level of precision and to achieve near-perfect capsulotomy completion rates.

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Femtosecond lasers benefit cataract surgery by fragmenting the lens, performing capsulotomy, and creating accurate incisions for the correction of astigmatism, as well as entry and sideport incisions. Surgeons are able to perform capsulotomy with excellent results that lift cleanly and easily, increasing the likelihood that the remainder of the procedures will be smooth, easy, and predictable.

In ideal circumstances, the femtosecond laser should reduce the occurrence of simple complications, such as anterior capsular tear, to the more severe problem, such as a dropped nucleus following a radial tear in the posterior capsule. Surgeons must learn to control those circumstances to enhance rates of success.

A weak capsulotomy matters

Femtosecond laser energy passes through tissue in rapid, tiny microbursts. Consequently, the laser energy is also easily deflected by any tissue irregularities or obstructions.

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