Femtosecond lasers may lead transition to new practice model

VIENNA — Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery has a high cost, and some say it does not outperform skilled standard phacoemulsification surgery. However, it may lead the transition to a new practice model in which optimized workflow, strategic planning and a team approach can efficiently deal with high-volume surgery, according to Rupert Menapace, MD, moderator of a session on femtosecond cataract surgery at the Advanced Retinal Therapy meeting.“We are facing a dramatic growth in the demand for cataract surgery due to the aging of the population and to the increasing interest in refractive procedures. Worldwide numbers have grown from 700 million procedures in 2011 to nearly 1 billion this year,” he said.