Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Refractive Surgical Correction for Presbyopia and Exploring Postoperative Visual Acuity
Published on: September 20, 2024
Differences in energy expenditure for conventional and femtosecond-assisted cataract surgery using 2 different
Nilufer Yesilirmak1, Vasilios F Diakonis1, Adam Sise1
1From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Purpose:
To compare the mean cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) in patients having femtosecond laser-assisted or conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery using 2 different phacoemulsification platforms.
Setting:
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, Florida, USA.
Design:
Prospective comparative nonrandomized clinical study.
Methods:
Consecutive patients were scheduled to have femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with the Lensx laser or conventional phacoemulsification using an active-fluidics torsional platform (Centurion) or torsional platform (Infiniti). The mean CDE and cataract grade were recorded.
Results:
The study comprised 570 eyes (570 patients). There was no statistically significant difference in mean age (P = .41, femtosecond group; P = .33, conventional group) or cataract grade (P = .78 and P = .45, respectively) between the active-fluidics and gravity-fluidics platforms. In femtosecond cases (145 eyes), the mean CDE (percent-seconds) was 5.18 ± 4.58 (SD) with active fluidics and 7.00 ± 6.85 with gravity fluidics; in conventional cases (425 eyes), the mean CDE was 7.77 ± 6.97 and 11.43 ± 9.12, respectively. In both femtosecond cases and conventional cases, the CDE was lower with the active-fluidics platform than with the gravity-fluidics platform (P = .029, femtosecond group; P < .001 conventional group). With both fluidics platforms, the mean CDE was significantly lower in the femtosecond group than in the conventional group (both P < .001).
Conclusions:
The active-fluidics phacoemulsification platform achieved lower CDE values than the gravity-fluidics platform for conventional cataract extraction. Femtosecond laser pretreatment with the active-fluidics platform further reduced CDE.
