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Outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery performed by surgeons-in-training

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Abstract

Purpose

To compare intraoperative factors and post-operative outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and manual cataract surgery performed by resident surgeons.

Methods

All cases of FLACS performed by resident surgeons during the 2013–2014 academic year were compared to a control group of manual cataract surgery cases with regards to pre-operative patient data, operative complications, cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), refractive prediction error (RPE), and corneal edema.

Results

There were no significant preoperative differences in the FLACS (n = 57) and manual (n = 68) groups. Operative complication rates were similar in cases with sufficient data and follow-up with a higher rate of posterior capsule tear in the manual group. CDE (percent-seconds) was lower in the FLACS group (FLACS: 14.5 ± 7.5; manual: 21.6 ± 11.5; p < 0.01). CDVA (LogMAR) was comparable at 1 month postoperatively (FLACS: 0.004 ± 0.08; manual: 0.024 ± 0.11; p = 0.24) and 1 year postoperatively (FLACS: 0.013 ± 0.06; manual: 0.032 ± 0.09; p = 0.37). No difference in RPE was found at 1 month postoperatively (FLACS: 0.38 ± 0.24 D; manual: 0.41 ± 0.49 D; p = 0.66) and 1 year postoperatively (FLACS: 0.49 ± 0.63 D; manual: 0.34 ± 0.26 D; p = 0.31).

Conclusions

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery is safe and effective compared to manual cataract surgery when performed by resident surgeons. Both 1-month and 1-year outcomes show no difference in refractive predictive error in FLACS compared to manual cataract surgery in surgeons in training.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Douglas D. Koch is a consultant for Alcon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

    Greg Brunin, Khurrum Khan, Kristin S. Biggerstaff, Li Wang, Douglas D. Koch & Sumitra S. Khandelwal

  2. Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Greg Brunin, Kristin S. Biggerstaff, Douglas D. Koch & Sumitra S. Khandelwal

Authors
  1. Greg Brunin
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  2. Khurrum Khan
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  3. Kristin S. Biggerstaff
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  4. Li Wang
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  5. Douglas D. Koch
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  6. Sumitra S. Khandelwal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sumitra S. Khandelwal.

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Funding

No funding was received for this research. The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in a product, method, or material described herein.

All studies supported in part by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, New York, U.S.A. (LW, DDK, SSK).

Conflict of interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Brunin, G., Khan, K., Biggerstaff, K.S. et al. Outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery performed by surgeons-in-training. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 255, 805–809 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-016-3581-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-016-3581-x

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