Outcomes of femtosecond laser cataract surgery with a diffractive multifocal intraocular lens.

PURPOSE: To report the visual and refractive outcomes in an initial series of eyes undergoing femtosecond laser cataract surgery with implantation of a diffractive multi-focal intraocular lens (IOL).

METHODS: The first 61 consecutive eyes undergoing femtosecond laser cataract surgery and ReSTOR (Alcon Laboratories Inc) +3.00-diopter (D) add IOL implantation between May and July 2011 were enrolled in the study (LCS group). The control group consisted of a retrospective consecutive cohort of 29 eyes that underwent manual phacoemulsification cataract surgery and ReSTOR +3.00-D add IOL implantation (MCS group) between December 2010 and April 2011. Visual and refractive parameters were collected pre- and postoperatively at 1 and 3 months.

RESULTS: Mean postoperative spherical equivalent refraction was -0.01±0.35 D and -0.06±0.30 D in the LCS and MCS groups, respectively (P=.492). Mean absolute refractive prediction error (PE) was 0.26±0.25 D for the LCS group and 0.23±0.16 D for the MCS group (P=.489). Mean arithmetic refractive PE was 0.06±0.44 D and -0.02±0.30 D for the LCS and MCS groups, respectively (P=.388). No significant difference was noted in mean postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity or uncorrected near visual acuity between groups. No eyes in either group had surgical complications or loss of corrected distance visual acuity in the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS: Mean spherical equivalent refraction and visual acuity of our initial group of patients undergoing laser cataract surgery are comparable to the manual phacoemulsification cohort for the AcrySof ReSTOR +3.00-D add IOL.