Femtosecond laser surgery in cataract extraction

The keynote in the evolution of modern cataract surgery has been the development of precision operative skills. For modern extracapsular extraction, using phacoemulsification, laser technology is now available which is being used to undertake various elements of the procedure with greater precision and improved patient safety. Specific elements of the procedure using lasers include the dissection of the anterior lens capsule as a precisely defined circle (capsulorhexis), the creation of incisions in the cornea for subsequent insertion of operative instruments and the partial dissection of the lens in order to simplify the subsequent process of phacoemulsification.

Surgical advantages

Delivery of laser energy during cataract surgery typically lasts less than 60 seconds, the majority of this time used to dissect the lens nucleus. The precision of the cut in the anterior capsule is thought to be superior to that undertaken by conventional techniques. The dissection of the cataract material by the femtosecond laser is claimed to facilitate the subsequent removal by phacoemulsification, and less energy is typically used compared with conventional techniques.