Comparison of Visual Outcomes Between Manual Phacoemulsification and Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery

Objective Our study compared recovery outcomes between manual and femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery by measuring visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and inflammation through pachymetry testing. We hypothesized that laser-assisted procedures would have improved postoperative results when compared to manual cataract surgery. Design We performed a prospective cohort study. Patients undergoing either manual or femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery by a single surgeon were followed through preoperative evaluation and three postoperative visits at one day, one week, and one month, documenting values of visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and pachymetry results. Subjects, participants, and controls We followed patients who fit the criteria for cataract removal, as diagnosed by a board-certified ophthalmologist, with eye surgeries divided into two groups: femtosecond laser-assisted surgery (n=35) and manual surgery (n=63). Methods All patients underwent either manual or femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery by the same surgeon. Each eye was evaluated preoperatively and at one day, one week, and one month postoperatively. Main outcome measures The outcomes measured were postoperative visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and pachymetry (as a proxy for inflammation) in order to assess recovery outcomes. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the mean changes in visual recovery outcomes. Results No statistically significant difference was found between the femtosecond laser-assisted surgery versus manually performed cataract surgery. However, the average for the two visual outcomes increased despite the statistics not being significant. Future studies are warranted with a larger sample size and more control variables. Conclusions This study sought to determine the variances in recovery outcomes between manual cataract surgery and femtosecond laser-assisted surgery by assessing visual acuity, corneal edema, and intraocular pressure. Our findings suggest that there was no significant statistical difference in outcomes when comparing patients who elected to undergo manual cataract surgery versus femtosecond laser-assisted surgery.