Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan 1;34(1):19-24.
doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002491. Epub 2024 Aug 28.

The Impact of Femtosecond Laser on Intraocular Pressure With Cataract Surgery in Healthy Eyes

Nurit Mathalone  1 , Or Ben-Shaul, Olga Podkovyrin, Chen Lux, Orna Geyer
Affiliations

The Impact of Femtosecond Laser on Intraocular Pressure With Cataract Surgery in Healthy Eyes

Nurit Mathalone et al. J Glaucoma. .

Abstract

Prcis: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) leads to an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) during the procedure and subsequent IOP reduction after surgery, with greater magnitude in eyes with higher preoperative IOP.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of FLACS using the LDVZ8 laser on IOP during and after surgery, and to compare the IOP-lowering effect of FLACS and conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery (CPCS).

Patients and methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 395 healthy eyes (395 patients) scheduled for FLACS (n=245) and CPCS (n=150). FLACS was performed using the LDVZ8 laser. During FLACS, IOP was assessed before and immediately after docking. IOP reduction during a 6-month postoperative period was evaluated following FLACS and CPCS. Multivariate analyses were performed.

Results: The mean IOP increase after docking was 2.3±4.1 mm Hg ( P <0.0001); the maximum increase was 17.6 mm Hg, peak of 38 mm Hg. Sixty-one eyes (25.1%) demonstrated an increase of ≥5 mm Hg and 10 (3.7%) showed an increase of ≥10 mm Hg; predocking IOP was associated with an IOP increase of ≥5 mm Hg ( P =0.029). IOP reduction over 6 months postsurgery was similar for FLACS and CPCS ( P >0.05), -1.33±3.12 mm Hg for FLACS ( P <0.001) and -1.4±2.87 mm Hg for CPCS ( P <0.001). Preoperative IOP correlated statistically significantly with IOP reduction in both FLACS (β -0.742, P <0.001) and CPCS (β -0.743, P <0.001).

Conclusions: Although the LDVZ8 laser procedure causes an increase in IOP in some healthy eyes, a subsequent decrease in IOP is observed after FLACS. The IOP-lowering effect of FLACS is similar to CPCS and tends to be more pronounced in eyes with higher preoperative IOP. Eyes with higher preoperative IOP are prone to IOP elevation during FLACS, a critical consideration for glaucoma patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Agarwal K, Hatch K. Femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery: a review. Semin Ophthalmol. 2021;36:618–627.
    1. Kerr NM, Abell RG, Vote BJ, et al. Intraocular pressure during femtosecond laser pretreatment of cataract. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2013;39:339–342.
    1. Schultz T, Conrad-Hengerer I, Hengerer FH, et al. Intraocular pressure variation during femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery using a fluid-filled interface. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2013;39:22–27.
    1. Baig NB, Cheng GPM, Lam JKM, et al. Intraocular pressure profiles during femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014;40:1784–1789.
    1. Darian-Smith E, Howie AR, Abell RG, et al. Intraocular pressure during femtosecond laser pretreatment: comparison of glaucomatous eyes and nonglaucomatous eyes. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2015;41:272–277.

LinkOut - more resources