AIM:To explore the effects of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery(FLACS)on corneal astigmatism and surgically induced astigmatism(SIA)value in patients with age-related cataract.

METHODS: Totally 152 cases of age-related cataract patients(233 eyes)admitted to our hospital were divided into the study group(n=70, 107 eyes, given the FLACS)and the control group \〖n=82, 126 eyes, given the traditional phacoemulsification cataract surgery(TS)\〗 according to the economic conditions and voluntary principles. Corneal astigmatism degree and SIA value were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: The effective ultrasound time, average ultrasound energy, and total operative time in the study group were less than those in the control group(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the intraocular pressure between the two groups before operation and at 1 and 3mo after operation(P>0.05). The difference in intraocular pressure was statistically significant of the two groups at different time points(P<0.05). The two groups showed a downward trend in intraocular pressure(P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the accumulated energy complex parameter(CDE)values of phacoemulsification between the two groups of grade Ⅱ nuclear and grade III nuclear surgery, and the intraoperative CDE value of grade Ⅲ nuclear in the two groups was higher than that of grade Ⅱ nuclear(P<0.05). The difference in visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity between the two groups at different time points was statistically significant(P<0.05). The uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity were significantly improved in the two groups(P<0.05). The uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity in the study group were better than those in the control group at 1mo after operation(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference at 3mo after operation(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in corneal astigmatism between the two groups and at different time points(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in surgical astigmatism between-groups at 1 and 3mo after operation(P>0.05).The surgical astigmatism at 3mo after operation was lower than that at 1mo after operation(P<0.05). There were significant differences in corneal endothelial cell counts between the two groups at different time points(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in corneal endothelial cell counts in the study group before operation and at 1mo after operation(P>0.05). The corneal endothelial cell counts in control group at 1mo after operation was lower than that before operation(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the corneal endothelial cell counts between the two groups before operation and at 1mo after operation(P>0.05). The corneal endothelial cell counts in the study group were significantly more than those in the control group at 3mo after operation(P<0.05). The corneal endothelial loss rate was significantly lower in the study group at 1 and 3mo after operation than that in the control group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: FLACS can effectively improve the postoperative visual acuity in patients with age-related cataract, and it will not increase the postoperative corneal astigmatism and SIA.