Ophthalmology
Dental
Dermatology
GLAUCOMA
warranted to confirm our findings and provide more-efficient selective laser trabeculoplasty protocols.
Purpose: To compare the effects of 180° and 360° selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) on intraocular pressure (IOP) and cornea in patients with bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma.
Methods: Fifty-two eyes of 26 patients were included. On the same day, 180° SLT (Group 1) was applied to one eye of patients and 360° SLT (Group 2) to the other eye. IOP values were compared at pre-SLT and post-SLT 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months. Changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) and endothelial cell count (ECC) were examined.
Results: In groups, significant decreases were observed in IOP at 1 week (p < 0.05), 1, 3, and 6 months (p < 0.001). No significant difference was determined between group 1 and 2 in IOP-lowering effectiveness or success rates (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in CCT at inter- or intragroup comparisons (p > 0.05). In group 1, no significant difference was determined in pre- and post-SLT ECC (p > 0.05). In group 2, significant decrease in ECC was observed at 1 week (p < 0.05). However, ECC returned to its initial levels at 1 month.
Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in literature to compare different quadrant SLT applications performed on both eyes, on the same day, in the same patient group and to compare the effects of those applications on IOP and cornea. In reducing IOP, 180° and 360° SLT are similarly effective. These effects begin on the 1st week and persist for 6 months. Temporary corneal changes may be observed following 360° SLT.
Abstract: Controlled, prospective, longitudinal, clinical trial with the objective to compare the efficacy of the micropulse laser trabeculoplasty (MLT) and the selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in patients with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the laser procedure, the group 1 was treated with SLT and the group 2 was treated with MLT; then they were followed for 3 months. 67 eyes were included in the trial (SLT: 38 eyes of 24 patients and MLT: 29 eyes of 19 patients). The average of age of the patients treated with SLT was 68.4 ± 8.8 years and with MLT 77.7 ± 7.3 years. The previous IOP was similar in both groups (SLT: 19.53 ± 4.03 mmHg, MLT: 19.76 ± 4.23 mmHg), a week after treatment (SLT: 18.53 ± 4.08 mmHg, MLT: 17.14 ± 5.19 mmHg), at month (SLT: 14.79 ± 2.42 mmHg, MLT: 16.26 ± 3.39 mmHg) and at 3 months (SLT: 15.66 ± 2.48 mmHg, MLT: 15.83 ± 3.19 mmHg). The percentage of IOP reduction was 19.81% with SLT and 19.89% with MLT. There was no statistically significant difference between the average IOP of both groups over 3 months of follow up. There was no difference in the number of drugs previous and posterior to the procedures, and there was not observed complications at any of the groups. The IOP-lowering effect of SLT and MLT was similar over 3 months in this group of patients and both proved to be safe procedures.
Products Featured: LIGHTLas SLT Deux, TruScan 577 with SP-Mode®
RETINA
Comparison of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Alone Versus Combined Bevacizumab and Macular Photocoagulation in Diabetic Macular Edema
Çetin Akpolat, Ferhat Evliyaoğlu, Muhammed Mustafa Kurt, Burak Erden, Mustafa Nuri Elçioğlu
Turkey Clinical J Ophthalmol. 2018; 27 (3): 187-93
AIM: Subthreshold lasers have gained popularity in the treatment of chorioretinopathy central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) and yellow (577 nm) lasers have completely revolutionized the treatment. However, there is very little literature regarding the use of a more common and conventional – green (532 nm) subthreshold laser for the treatment of chronic CSCR. We report the use of green (532 nm) laser for the treatment of chronic CSCR and its outcome.
Methods: Eyes with nonresolving CSCR were treated with green subthreshold laser and evaluated at the end of 5 months. Visual acuity, central macular thickness (CMT), and macular volume (MV) at baseline and at 5 months following treatment were evaluated.
Results: Thirteen eyes with chronic CSCR were treated with green laser in SP-Mode™. The mean duration of CSCR was 7.64±3.77 months at the time of treatment. The median age of the patients was 41 (35–57) years. The baseline mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.96 logMAR ± 0.17, with mean baseline CMT of 503.8 µm ± 181.9 and MV of 12.8 mm3 ± 3.81. The mean CMT at 5 months was 211 µm ± 31.7 and mean MV was 9.65 mm3 ± 0.60, correlating to a mean decrease of 292 µm ± 79 in CMT and mean decrease of 3.18 mm3 ± 1.87 in the MV from baseline (P<0.05). The mean BCVA after treatment was 0.18 logMAR±0.09 (P<0.05). Two cases of CSCR with pigment epithelial detachment (PED) also had complete resolution of both at 5 months.
Conclusion: Subthreshold green laser (532 nm) is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of chronic CSCR with very good and stable outcomes. It may also be beneficial in the treatment of PEDs.
Products Featured: LIGHTLas 532 with SP-Mode®
Objective: To determine the anatomical and functional improvement in eyes with diffuse macular oedema after modified mild macular grid laser.
Methods: The prospective study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology Unit II, Civil Hospital Karachi, and the Department of Ophthalmology, Dow International Medical College, Karachi, from June 2011 to May 2014. We used neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet 532nm frequency-doubled green laser to treat all eligible patients. Treatment variables were a spot size of 50 microns, exposure duration of 0.1 seconds, and power sufficient to produce barely visible burns in a grid pattern. We treated the thickened retina and non-thickened area of the macula excluding central 500 micron. Microaneurysms within the macular areas were treated by focal application of laser shots sufficient to bleach them.
Results: The study comprised 86 eyes of 52 patients who were treated by applying 180 to 360 burns with a mean of 275±51. Mean macular thickness differed significantly between time points (Wilks' Lambda 0.139; F (2, 6) = 125.95; p = 0.00001). Mean visual acuity changed significantly between time points (Wilks' Lambda 0.535; F (4, 82) = 17.8; p = 0.00001). At the last follow-up, visual acuity improved at least one line in 32(37.2%) eyes, remained stable in 48(55.8%) eyes, and declined in 6(6.9%) eyes.
Conclusion: Modified mild macular grid is an effective and safe procedure for patients with diffuse diabetic macular oedema.
Products Featured: LIGHTLas YAG/532 Combo System with SP-Mode®
YAG & VITREOLYSIS
Renzo Cañote, Daniela Rodríguez, Luis Izquierdo Jr, Roger Moncada, Carmen Maldonado, Maria Alejandra Henriquez
Methods: This was a prospective case series study including patients with symptomatic floaters attending the Oftalmosalud Institute of eyes and underwent YAG laser vitreolysis. All patients completed the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire 25 for the quality of life assessment and the presence of floaters as well as the measure of the visual acuity reported preprocedure and after 3‐month follow‐up. Statistical analysis was done using score 0–100 for each question, and a sign test for paired samples was used.
Results: Twenty eyes of 20 patients were evaluated. The comparisons for the questionnaire show an improvement in the general vision (P = 0.008), near vision (P = 0.001), and distance vision (P = 0.012). Furthermore, the dependency of glasses (P = 0.012), the score of mental health (P = 0.007), and the best visual acuity (P = 0.004) were improved. Patients who referred improvement in the quality of life were 75% pseudophakic patients and 25% phakic patients. The complications were high intraocular pressure and subcapsular cataract.
Conclusions: Our study revealed a moderate improvement in floater symptoms and in quality of life and visual outcomes.
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Products Featured: LIGHTLas YAG + Vitreolysis
Ophthalmology. 2018; 15 (4): 411-415
Patients and methods: The study involved 24 patients (24 eyes) with floating opacities of the vitreous body according to the Weiss ring type. All patients underwent laser vitreolysis using the DIXION LPULSA SYL-9000 Nd: YAG laser system with a coaxial light divider at the OPTIMED Center for Laser Restoration. The age of patients ranged from 47 to 81 years (average 58.3 ± 8.9 years). Among patients, 15 (62.5%) women and 9 (37.5%) men. Before the operation, a comprehensive ophthalmological examination was carried out, which included visometry, autorefractometry, pneumotonometry, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, ultrasound echobiometry, ultrasound B-scanning. Statistical processing was performed in the application package Statistica v.10.0.0 (StatSoft®, Inc.) and Excel (Microsoft Office Professional 2016). Before surgery, patients were observed for three months. Control examination was performed one day after the operation.
Results: After a follow-up examination, all patients experienced a subjective improvement in visual quality. In 18 (75%) patients there was a complete disappearance of floating "flies". The remaining patients noted the disappearance of a large floating spot.
Conclusion: Laser vitreolysis using an Nd: YAG laser system with a coaxial light divider can improve quality and increase visual acuity in patients with floating opacities. The results obtained indicate the effectiveness of the use of this installation and allow us to recommend it for the treatment of symptomatic floating opacities in the destruction of the vitreous body.
Products Featured: LIGHTLas YAG + Vitreolysis
Laser Treatment for Eye Floaters Comes to St. George
“We described two young patients with persistent fovea detachment after scleral buckling for long-term retinal detachment."
Treatment: LIGHTLas Nd:YAG (LIGHTMED, USA) subretinal membranotomy was performed with a wavelength of 1064 nm, a pulse width of 4 ns, and a focal plan of up to 250 mm anteriorly. After mounting the Golmann contact lens (Haag-Streit, UK), the laser was applied to the thinner part of a band far from the macula. The end point of treatment was disruption of a band with total six pulses of 5.0 mJ/pulse. Nd:YAG laser produces photodisruption, and it can be applied in disorders of posterior segment including subhyaloid haemorrhage, diabetic tractional retinal detachment, preretinal macular fibrosis, and vitreoretinal traction from horseshoe tears.
DENTAL
The “Er:YAG laser-assisted periimplantitis total therapy (Er:LPTT)”-a novel procedure to perform periimplantitis treatment with bone regeneration therapy
Teichen Lin, Yoichi Taniguchi, Akira Aoki, Chun-Cheng Chen
Journal of Dental Sciences Vol 16, Issue 4, October 2021, Pages 1302-1304
Background: Implant therapy improves masticatory performance and oral health-related quality of life and demonstrates a high success rate. However, plaque-induced periimplantitis is inevitable, and no standard protocol for periimplantitis treatment has been established yet. The Er:YAG laser is effective for implant surface debridement and has a bactericidal effect. It produces minimal thermal damage under a suitable energy output as the wavelength of the Er:YAG laser (2940 nm) is highly absorbed by water. In recent years, several studies have suggested favorable outcomes of treating periimplantitis with Er:YAG laser instead of using conventional plastic or titanium instruments, air-abrasion, or chemical methods. Conventionally, following implant surface debridement, a bone graft is placed in the bony defect and then occasionally covered with a non-resorbable or resorbable membrane for guided bone regeneration (GBR). Additionally, recent studies have demonstrated the Er:YAG laser-assisted bone regenerative therapy, in which Er:YAG laser irradiation on the blood and bone graft without water spray aids bone regeneration. Based on this technique, we described a novel procedure, the Er:YAG laser-assisted periimplantitis total therapy (Er:LPTT), which involved the total application of Er:YAG laser in various procedures of periimplantitis therapy, including from implant surface debridement, granulation tissue removal, and up to simultaneous regenerative therapy.
Products Featured: SAPPHIRE Dental Laser
Min Yes Ng, Taichen Lin, Cheng-Chia Yu, Chun-Cheng Chen
Journal of Dental Sciences, October 2021
Recently, Er:YAG laser (ErL) has gained attention in several periodontal and peri-implantitis therapies1 because it can precisely ablate both soft and hard tissues with minimal thermal side effects. Additionally, ErL irradiation without water spray can coagulate blood well, which could be advantageous for bleeding control during surgery. Herein, we demonstrate a minimally invasive, flapless esthetic crown lengthening approach using ErL.
Products Featured: SAPPHIRE Dental Laser
Jung-Chang Kung, Chern-Hsiung Lai, Kun-Tsung Lee, Po-Sung Fu, Jeng-Hao Chen, I-Jui Chen, Dah-You Yan, Cheng-Chu Wang, You-Syun Jheng, Yi-Min Wu
Kun-Tsung Denzel Lee, Jung-Chang Kung, Chern-Hsiung Lai, Po-Sung Fu, I-Hui Chen, Dah-You Yan, Cheng-Chu Wang, You-Syun Jheng, Yi-Min Wu