Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40731148›Full record

SynthesisScientific reports2025

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery versus conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ssu-Hsien Lee, Yu-Chieh Chiu, Ping-Chiao Tsai, Jen-Hung Wang, Cheng-Jen Chiu

Abstract readComparative StudyMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Choroidal vascularity and thickness modulation with topical nepafenac after phacoemulsification: a comparative study in diabetic and non-diabetic eyes.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ssu-Hsien LeeSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, 970, Taiwan.
Yu-Chieh ChiuSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, 970, Taiwan.
Ping-Chiao TsaiSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, 970, Taiwan.
Jen-Hung WangDepartment of Medical Research, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, 970, Taiwan.
Cheng-Jen ChiuDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tzu Chi University, No. 707, Section 3, Zhongyang Rd, Hualien City, Hualien County, 970, Taiwan. drcjchiu@outlook.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The study aims to compare the efficacy/safety of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) vs. conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery (CPCS). A systematic search/analysis of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to January 2023 was conducted without date/language restrictions. Weighted mean differences, risk ratios, and Hedges' g with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The stability of results was assessed using trial sequential analysis (TSA). International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews Registration No. PROSPERO CRD42023393323. Forty-six randomized controlled trials (8,871 eyes) revealed that FLACS yielded a significantly better corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) 1 week postoperatively (P = 0.011) with no significant differences in CDVA beyond 1 week (P = 0.161, 0.429, 0.403), or in uncorrected distance visual acuity (P = 0.171, 0.136, 0.322, 0.149), spherical equivalent, or surgically induced astigmatism. Concerning safety outcomes, no significant differences were observed in overall complications (P = 0.999). These findings were supported by TSA. Ultimately, the overall complications, patient-reported health, visual, and daily-activity outcomes were not significantly different between FLACS and CPCS. Regarding extended-term and patient-centered outcomes, we identified no substantial disparities in visual acuity, complications, or patient-reported outcomes between FLACS and CPCS. Subgroup analysis showed consistent efficacy and safety across diverse laser platforms. Notably, FLACS exhibited no clear cost-effectiveness advantage over CPCS.

Indexed as

CataractCataract ExtractionLaser TherapyPhacoemulsificationHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeVisual Acuity

Identifiers

PMID40731148
PMCPMC12307633

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.