Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery after corneal refractive surgery

Abstract

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and advanced cataract techniques such as femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) have been commercially available. Corneal refractive surgery (CRS) is one of the most popular surgeries for the correction of refractive errors. CRS changes the cornea not only anatomically but also pathophysiologically. However, there has been no clinical research analyzing the refractive and safety outcomes of FLACS after CRS. The aim of this retrospective chart review and comparative study is to evaluate the effect and safety of FLACS after CRS comparing with conventional PCS. Participants with a previous CRS history who underwent FLACS or conventional PCS were included in this study. The visual outcomes and the refractive outcomes including refractive, corneal, and ocular residual astigmatism were compared. The safety outcomes were then studied intraoperatively and postoperatively. A total of 102 patients with age-related cataract were enrolled. At 3 months postoperatively, UCVA, BCVA, and predictive error were not significantly different between the FLACS and conventional PCS groups. Reduction of refractive astigmatism was higher in FLACS. Postoperative ORA was significant lower in FLACS. Reduction of ORA was higher in FLACS. The intraoperative and postoperative complications were also not significantly different between the two groups. FLACS could effectively change refractive astigmatism and ORA; without more complications than conventional PCS. FLACS’ competitive edge in postoperative ORA may provide better visual quality than conventional PCS in patients with a previous history of CRS.

Major approaches and clinical findings of cataract surgery using the femtosecond laser: a systematic review

“…Furthermore, the application of LASERs in cataract surgery began to be investigated in the seventies [6,7,[25][26][27][28]. The argon laser, whose wavelength lies in the visible light spectrum, was the first laser to be used clinically in Ophthalmology [7].…”

“…Furthermore, the application of LASERs in cataract surgery began to be investigated in the seventies [6,7,[25][26][27][28]. The argon laser, whose wavelength lies in the visible light spectrum, was the first laser to be used clinically in Ophthalmology [7]. This works through molecular vibration, causing localized thermal effects, and having a photocoagulation effect on tissues [12,27].…”

“…These corneal incisions are selfsealing and provide a gateway to access the anterior chamber. The precision of the incision and the consistency of its Femtosecond laser architecture enable better postoperative healing, allowing for better control of postoperative infection [6,7].…”

“…Also, cataract is the main cause of blindness worldwide and surgery for its correction is the most performed surgical procedure in the world, with some an estimated 19 million surgeries per year [3]. However, this number is expected to come increasing, as a result of the increasing size of the population, the increase in average life expectancy, the increase in chronic diseases associated with aging, such as diabetes mellitus, and the development of expectations regarding health [4][5][6][7].…”

Photon energy transfer on titanium targets for laser thrusters

“…Laser-matter interaction is a rather complex process representing a broad research domain with numerous scientific and technology applications in various domains of activities, from engineering and nanotechnology to medicine and astronomy [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . The photon is known as a mass-less particle in the quantum physics approach, but it is still able to transfer impulse and respectively kinetic energy to macroscopic targets E p = h Planck • ν .…”