Visual Outcome after Nd:YAG Laser Capsulotomy

A longitudinal study was carried out in the laser unit of the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka on 500 eyes of 500 patients who were treated with Neodymium-yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy over a period of two and a half years. The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual acuity following Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy. The main entry criteria for this study were posterior capsular opacification (PCO) following Extracapsular Cataract Extraction (ECCE). The patients with corneal opacity, glaucoma, vitreous opacity, macular diseases, optic nerve diseases and any other retinopathies causing visual impairment were excluded from this study. Thirty six percent patients had pre-capsulotomy visual acuity 6/36 to 6/60, 32% patients had 6/18 to 6/24, 18% patients had <6/60 and 14% patients had 6/12. After seven days of capsulotomy 76% patients gained 6/12 or better vision. Eighty percent patients gained visual acuity of 6/12 with optical correction after thirty days. On the other hand, 64% patients had pre-capsulotomy near vision < N10 and 16% patients had N8. After capsulotomy near vision improved considerably. Four percent of the patients failed to improve vision following laser capsulotomy. It can be concluded that Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy in PCO can improve both distant and near vision, which can be augmented with optical correction after one month of laser surgery. Key words: Laser capsulotomy, Nd:YAG laser, visual acuity. DOI: 10.3329/jafmc.v5i2.4580 JAFMC Bangladesh Vol.5(2) (December) 2009, pp.29-31