Using argon laser blue light reduces ophthalmologists' color contrast sensitivity. Argon blue and surgeons' vision

T. A. Berninger, C. R. Canning, K. Gunduz, N. Strong and G. B. Arden
Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, England.

Color contrast sensitivity was measured in laser operators before and after laser use. After argon blue-green laser treatment sessions, sensitivity was reduced for colors lying along a tritan color-confusion line for several hours. This acute effect is due to specular "flash-backs" from the aiming beam off the surface of the contact lens. It is caused only by argon 488-nm light, when the aiming beam intensity is high. In addition, a correlation has been demonstrated between the number of years of laser experience and a chronic reduction in tritan color contrast sensitivity. It is suggested that repeated acute changes caused by the argon lasers may cause cumulative effects and produce a chronic threshold elevation. A simple method of eliminating the acute effect is documented.