Effect of neodymium:YAG laser capsulotomy on retinal straylight values in patients with posterior capsule opacification

• Published in: Journal of cataract and refractive surgery Vol. 34; no. 10; pp. 1681 - 1686
• Main Authors: van Bree, Maartje C.J., MD, Zijlmans, Bart L.M., MD, van den Berg, Thomas J.T.P., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cataract - etiology; Cataract - therapy; Cataract Extraction; Glare; Humans; Laser Therapy; Lasers, Solid-State - therapeutic use; Lens Capsule, Crystalline - pathology; Lens Capsule, Crystalline - surgery; Lens Implantation, Intraocular; Light; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Ophthalmology; Postoperative Complications; Prospective Studies; Retina - radiation effects; Scattering, Radiation; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the eye and orbit; Visual Acuity - physiology; Human; Opacification; Capsulotomy; Treatment; Neodymium; Surgery; YAG laser; Posterior; Value; Retina; Capsule; Ophthalmology
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2008.06.014
• ISSN: 0886-3350

Purpose To determine the effect of neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy on retinal straylight values in patients with posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Setting Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Methods This prospective study comprised 35 patients with PCO scheduled to have Nd:YAG capsulotomy. Before and after Nd:YAG capsulotomy, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was determined, a slitlamp examination was performed, and retinal straylight was measured. The straylight measurements were performed using the C-Quant instrument utilizing the compensation-comparison method. Based on the median BCVA before Nd:YAG capsulotomy (20/50), patients were divided into 2 groups: those with visual acuity better than 20/50 (good VA group) and those with an acuity of 20/50 or worse (poor VA group). Results The BCVA and straylight values improved significantly after Nd:YAG capsulotomy. The improvement in the straylight value was statistically significant in the good VA group and poor VA group. The BCVA and straylight values behaved independently from each other. Before capsulotomy, the BCVA and the straylight value were moderately correlated. After Nd:YAG capsulotomy, there was no significant correlation between the 2 parameters. Also, the improvement in the 2 parameters after Nd:YAG capsulotomy was unrelated. Conclusions After Nd:YAG capsulotomy, both BCVA and straylight values improved significantly. There was no uniform relation between BCVA and retinal straylight. Straylight must be considered an independent entry criterion for capsulotomy.