Laser cataract surgery continues to transform capsulotomies

Take-home message: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery will continue to lead the transition to a new era in ophthalmology with more precise, customizable, and reproducible capsulotomies.

By George O. Waring IV, MD, FACS, Special to Ophthalmology Times 

In the short time surgeons have been performing femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS), it has become obvious the technology facilitates creation of a precise and accurate capsulotomy.

As settings continue to be refined, surgeons will almost certainly see further improvements in clinical outcomes with femtosecond laser capsulotomy.

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For example, Wendell Scott, MD, has explored the effects of different vertical spacing and incision depth settings on the quality and speed of the laser capsulotomy.¹

Work like this mirrors what surgeons saw in the evolution of femtosecond laser LASIK flaps. Early flaps were not superior to manual flaps but as settings were refined and surgeon experience with the lasers grew, laser flaps quickly outpaced what had been previously possible with manual flaps.

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Ophthalmology is heading into a new era where eventually FLACS will gain majority market share compared with manual surgery, just as was observed in corneal refractive surgery. More precise, customizable, and reproducible capsulotomies will be a big part of that transition.

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