Laser trabeculoplasty in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma.

摘要

Laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) has been used as an initial, adjunct, or replacement (for medications) therapy to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG). The original procedure and LTP protocol were described using argon laser (wavelength of 488 and 514nm). Large, prospective clinical studies have shown that argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) is a relatively safe and effective procedure. An alternative to ALT is selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002 for the treatment of OAG. By using the 532 nm, frequency-doubled, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, SLT results in the selective absorption of energy by pigmented cells and spares adjacent cells and tissues from thermal energy.1 Newer laser modalities include micropulse laser trabeculoplasty (MLT) and titanium sapphire trabeculoplasty (TLT).