Navigated laser photocoagulator is highly safe and accurate

Navigated laser photocoagulator with precise retinal targeting enables highly accurate perifoveal laser application and resulted in no foveal damage, according to a study in the journal Retina.

Dr Igor Kozak et al., Department of Ophthalmology, Jacobs Retina Center, Shiley Eye Center, University of California, San Diego, California, USA, conducted an interventional case series of 25 consecutive eyes with perifoveal and retinovascular diseases. All eyes were treated with a navigated laser photocoagulator.

Of the eyes studied, three had perifoveal telangiectasia, two eyes had central serous chorioretinopathy and 20 eyes had diabetic macular oedema with focal leakage. Treatments were administered without a contact lens and topical anaesthesia.

At baseline mean and median foveal thickness was 535 ± 171 μm and 402 ± 152 μm, respectively. At six months the mean and median foveal thickness was measured at 318 ± 112 μm and 221 ± 127 μm, respectively. This demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in foveal thickness. Mean visual acuity at baseline and at six months were 20/80 and 20/50- a significant improvement.

Navigated laser photocoagulation has been shown to be successful in improving visual acuity and decreasing central foveal thickness.