As reported on MedPage Today earlier this week, leading eye surgeons opined at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting that femtosecond-pulse lasers similar to those used for LASIK may take over manual incision and phacoemulsification in cataract surgery.

Studies have shown that laser capsulotomy size, shape, and reproducibility were all statistically significantly better than manual capsulotomy. In one study presented at the meeting, femtosecond laser incisions achieved perfect diameter accuracy in 100% of cases, while only 10% of surgeons’ manual cuts were within 0.25 mm error.

While existing femtosecond laser systems such as IntraLase, which are used in corneal transplants and to make LASIK flaps, don’t penetrate far enough for capsulotomies, a new generation is emerging that reaches deeper into the eye (7,500 versus 1,200 ?m). One such system (LenSx) gained FDA approval last month for use in cataract surgery, and two others are under development (Optimedica and LensAR).

Read ^[1] the full story on MedPage Today.