This Modality Added to Femtosecond Lens Softening Shows Benefit

Preliminary findings show benefit in combining multiburst phaco modality with femtosecond softening of the lens nucleus during cataract surgery, according to a retrospective, single surgeon, two-arm study by Mitchell A. Jackson, MD, medical director of JacksonEye in Lake Villa, IL.  He presented his findings during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s 2018 annual meeting in Washington, DC.

Participant eyes included femtosecond-treated eyes (n=120), as well as those not pre-softened with a laser (n=30). Investigators looked at density-based femto pattern, phaco energy profile (effective phaco time (EPT), Phaco power (PP), total phaco time (TPT)) and fluid dynamics (irrigation time (IT), aspiration time (AT), total fluid usage (TFU), and flow rate (FR)). Among the results:

• Eyes that had femto-fragmentation combined with multiburst phaco had a more efficient pattern of phaco energy exposure.
• Time was 30% shorter in the femtosecond group.
• TFU and FR, as well as uncorrected visual acuity and cornea edema, were similar.

Jackson M. Advantages of multiburst phaco modality in femtosecond laser-assisted cases. Talk presented at: 2018 ASCRS-ASOA Annual Meeting; April 13-17, 2018; Washington, DC.