Initial results with an intraocular femtosecond laser demonstrate higher precision of capsulorrhexis and reduced phacoemulsification power in porcine and human eyes.

Femtosecond laser cataract surgery had a learning curve during the first 100 cases. With cautious surgical technique, the complications can be avoided. The femtosecond laser-assisted method was efficient and safe for cataract surgery.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery causes less corneal swelling in the early postoperative period and may cause less trauma to corneal endothelial cells than manual phacoemulsification.

Laser refractive cataract surgery with a femtosecond laser resulted in a significantly better predictability of IOL power calculation than conventional phacoemulsification surgery. This difference is possibly due to a more precise capsulorrhexis, resulting in a more stable IOL position.

Results of this study suggest that femtosecond laser-assisted cataract extraction does not differ in postoperative macular thickness as compared with standard ultrasound phacoemulsification.