Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery without ophthalmic viscosurgical devices

To describe a technique for performing femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery without the use of ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs).

After laser pretreatment, the anterior chamber is stabilized with balanced salt solution during lens and cortex aspiration. A preloaded intraocular lens is implanted under irrigation.

In 23 eyes undergoing surgery without the use of OVDs, no complications were observed within a 1-month follow-up period. The time for surgery and the amount of fluid that went into the eye were similar to those of a standard procedure. There was no remarkable increase in intraocular pressure or corneal thickness. All patients achieved a significant increase in corrected distance visual acuity after surgery.

The significant reduction of phacoemulsification use after femtosecond laser application might render the use of OVDs obsolete in many cases.