Clinical outcomes of femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery versus conventional phacoemulsification surgery for hard nuclear cataracts

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes between femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (femtosecond group) and conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery (conventional group) in patients with hard nuclear cataract. SETTING: Eye Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. DESIGN: Prospective consecutive nonrandomized comparative cohort study. METHODS: According to the Emery-Little classification, cataract patients with a grade 4 or 5 hard nuclei were assigned to 1 of the 2 groups. The endothelial cell density (ECD), central corneal thickness (CCT), and uncorrected and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities were evaluated preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The study comprised 95 eyes (47 in the femtosecond group; 48 in the conventional group). The effective phacoemulsification time, absolute phaco time, and mean ultrasound power were lower in the femtosecond group (P < .001, P = .001, and P < .001, respectively). The ECD in the conventional group was lower and the changes in endothelial cell loss was different between the 2 groups throughout the follow-up (both P < .001). The CCT increased after surgery, and the thickness was greater in the conventional group at 1 day postoperatively (P < .05); it then returned to preoperative levels 1 month postoperatively in the femtosecond group and at 3 months in the conventional group. The CDVA was stable by 1 month postoperatively in the femtosecond group and by 3 months in the conventional group. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional phacoemulsification, femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery for hard nuclear cataracts conserved phacoemulsification power, provided a significant reduction in corneal endothelial damage, and led to faster visual rehabilitation.