Clinical outcomes of femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery versus conventional phacoemulsification: A retrospective study in a tertiary eye care center in South India

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes of femtosecond laser–assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) versus conventional phacoemulsification (CP) in terms of refractive outcomes, cumulative dissipated energy, and intraoperative complications. METHODS: In this retrospective study performed in a tertiary care ophthalmic hospital, we reviewed 2124 eyes that underwent FLACS or CP. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), and intraoperative complications were analyzed in the study. RESULTS: Out of 2124 eyes, 873 underwent FLACS and 1251 underwent CP. The postoperative mean UCVA after one month was 0.05 ± 0.11 logMAR and 0.14 ± 0.23 logMAR for FLACS and CP, respectively (P < 0.00001). Mean CDVA one month post operation was 0.02 ± 0.07 logMAR and 0.06 ± 0.19 logMAR for FLACS and CP, respectively (P < 0.0001). The CDE for the FLACS group was 6.17 ± 3.86 (P < 0.00001) and it was 9.74 ± 6.02 for the CP group. The intraoperative complication for the FLACS group was 1.60% and the CP group was 2.39% (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The visual outcomes were better in FLACS compared to CP. The CDE was lower for the FLACS group and FLACS had significantly less intraoperative complications.