Efficacy and safety of Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Vitreous floaters are a common and inconvenient phenomena. This study aims to examine the efficacy and safety in treating vitreous floaters using Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis. Methods: In this prospective double-blinded randomized clinical trial 24 eyes of twenty-four patients were randomized into intervention with YAG laser vitreolysis and control groups. Primary outcomes were visual disturbance on a 10-point scale, qualitative changes in a 4-level scale, contrast sensitivity measured with the Pelli-Robson table and the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire 25 (NEI VFQ-25). Secondary results included objective change in vitreous opacities, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), variation in intraocular pressure (IOP) and other adverse events. Results: Twenty-one patients (21 eyes; 5 male, 16 female) were enrolled in this study (mean age 62 ± 7.9 years), three were lost during follow-up. In the YAG laser group, the 10-point visual disturbance score improved a mean of 4.7 points ( p < 0.001) compared to the control group that improved 2.1 ( p = 0.09). The YAG laser group reported greater subjectively symptomatic improvement (77%) than controls (25%). NEI VFQ-25 revealed improved general vision (75.8 versus 59.2; p = 0.037) and in mental health at 6 months (84.3 versus 70.3; p = 0.048). There was no significant difference in contrast sensitivity ( p = 0.848) and in IOP ( p = 0.505). No differences in adverse events between groups were identified. Conclusion: Vitreolysis with Nd:YAG laser improves visual results in patients with symptomatic vitreous floaters, without adverse events considered clinically relevant. Other trials with a larger number of participants are required to corroborate these results.