Safety of YAG laser vitreolysis for intraocular tissues: analysis of postoperative complications

• Published in: International ophthalmology Vol. 43; no. 12; pp. 4585 - 4593
• Main Authors: Liu, Jiannan, Wang, Hao, Gu, Wei, Zhao, Tingting, Fan, Wenxue, Peng, Shaomin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ablation; Abnormalities; Aluminum; Aqueous humour; Complications; Cytokines; Eye; Eye lens; IL-1β; Inflammation; Interleukin 8; Interleukins; Intraocular pressure; Lasers; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Ophthalmology; Optical Coherence Tomography; Original Paper; Postoperative; Rabbits; Safety; Semiconductor lasers; Tissue analysis; Transmission electron microscopy; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; YAG lasers; Yttrium; Vitreous opacities; YAG laser vitreolysis; Floaters ablation; Vitreous floaters
• DOI: 10.1007/s10792-023-02858-0
• ISSN: 1573-2630; 0165-5701

Purpose To evaluate the safety of yttrium–aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser vitreolysis for intraocular tissues. Methods Thirty-six New Zealand rabbits were divided as follows: Group 1000 (n = 12) treated with YAG laser of 1000 mJ (5 mJ × 200 shots), Group 2000 (n = 12) treated with YAG laser of 2000 mJ (5 mJ × 400 shots), Group 3000 (n = 12) treated with YAG laser of 3000 mJ (5 mJ × 600 shots). Either a single eye was chosen as the study eye in study groups while the other was untreated as the control group. Intraocular pressure (IOP), slit-lamp, optical coherence tomography (OCT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and inflammatory cytokines of aqueous humor (interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were performed to examine the rabbits. Results There were no abnormalities in the study groups of IOP, slit-lamp, and OCT examinations. Group 3000 of TEM showed: neutrophils and mitochondrial swelling on day 1, and fibroblasts and neocollagen on day 14. No abnormalities were observed in Group 1000 and 2000 of TEM. Levels of IL-1α and TNF-α increased at 12 h and decreased to baseline on day 3. Levels of IL-1β increased at 12 h and decreased to baseline on day 7. Levels of IL-8 increased on day 1 and decreased to baseline on day 3. Conclusion YAG laser vitreolysis is safe when the distance is more than 2 mm from ablation point to the lens and the retina, and the total energy is less than 2000 mJ for one treatment procedure.