A New and Improved Vitreoretinal ErbiumiYAG Laser Scalpel: Long-Term Morphologic Characteristics of Retinal-Choroidal Injury

摘要

To report a modified erbium:YAG laser scalpel designed to incise tissue more efficiently and safely than other systems reported to date.An erbium:YAG laser delivery system was built to deliver laser energy in bursts of micropulses with a repetition rate of 1,000Hz. The laser was coupled to handpieces with tip designs equipped with shields, backstops, and beveled,straight, and flexible fibers. In vivo studies in the rabbit eye were performed to determine damage threshold,optimal pulse energy, and burst frequency required to make incisions in the retina and choroid. The safety profile and directional control provided by the hand-pieces were tested for consistency. Partial- and full-thickness retinal-choroidal incisions were examined clinically and histologically at various time intervals.