All methods of laser radiation therapy currently used in clinical practice are positioned as safe in terms of possible negative effects on the eye and surrounding tissues.

PURPOSE

To assess possible changes in the macular region of the retina and thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) according to the results of a dynamic study of OCT parameters after laser operations in the iris-lens diaphragm area.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed on 34 pseudophakic patients (43 eyes) with clinical signs of secondary cataract with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of at least 0.3, and on 28 patients (38 eyes) with relative papillary block before laser intervention and 1 hour, 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 1 and 6 months after surgery. The changes in the thickness of the retina in 9 standard ETDRS areas, and the thickness of the ganglion cells layer and peripapillary RNFL were analyzed.

RESULTS

In both groups of patients during the entire observation period, there was no fundamental change in the thickness of the peripapillary RNFL and the ganglion cell complex (all p>0.05). According to OCT, retinal thickness in both groups significantly increased an hour after laser irradiation in 5 out of 9 ETDRS areas. The retinal thickness returned to preoperative values in the group of patients with Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy on the 3rd day after surgery, and after 1 week in the group with Nd:YAG laser iridectomy. Retinal thickness in the macular area did not change significantly during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Laser operations in the iris-lens diaphragm area have a negligible effect on the thickness of the retina, as measured by the OCT method, do not affect the thickness of the ganglion cells layer or peripapillary RNFL, and is safe for the central zone of the retina.