Postoperative IOL Axial Movements and Refractive Changes after Femtosecond Laser-assisted Cataract Surgery Versus Conventional Phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE: To evaluate intraocular lens (IOL) axial movements and refractive changes during a 6-month follow-up period after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and conventional cataract surgery, investigate the influence of capsulorhexis features on postoperative IOL axial changes, and assess the prediction error for both techniques. METHODS: Eighty eyes of 80 candidates for cataract extraction were randomized into two groups: femtosecond laser (40 eyes) and manual (40 eyes). RESULTS: The overall anterior chamber depth variation was significantly lower in the femtosecond laser group compared to the manual group during follow-up ( P < .001). At 30 and 180 days postoperatively, the mean spherical equivalent showed a hyperopic shift (0.09 ± 0.28 diopters [D]) in the femtosecond laser group and a myopic shift in the manual group (−0.25 ± 0.18 D). Median absolute error was not significantly different between the two groups with standard formulas ranging between 0.29 and 0.64 (Hoffer Q) in the femtosecond laser group and between 0.24 (SRK-T) and 0.55 D (Hoffer Q) in the manual group. There was a significant lower deviation from intended versus achieved capsulotomy/capsulorhexis area in the femtosecond laser group ( P < .001) compared to the manual group. The femtosecond laser group showed better IOL centration compared to the manual group at all time periods ( P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery was related to a lower overall variability of anterior chamber depth compared to conventional cataract surgery with more stable postoperative refraction. The two techniques did not show significant differences of prediction error. [ J Refract Surg. 2015;31(8):524–530.]