Holmium-YAG laser surgery on experimental vitreous membranes
S. Borirakchanyavat, C. A. Puliafito, G. H. Kliman, T. I. Margolis and E. L. Galler
Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
We used a pulsed holmium-YAG laser that emitted in the midinfrared (2.12
microns) to cut experimental vitreous membranes in rabbits via an
intraocular fiberoptic delivery system. Thirty-five membranes were treated
at distances of 0.5 to 3.8 mm from the retina. All of the membranes that
were treated were transected or partially cut. In cases that were treated
with the optical fiber encased in a retinal-shielding pick, membranes could
be readily transected without retinal injury. Laser vitreous membrane
cutting may offer the advantage of near-tractionless membrane segmentation.
The combination of a moderately strong target tissue absorption and the
ready availability of commercial optical fibers for transmission of
2.12-microns laser energy suggests that the holmium-YAG laser merits
further investigation for this application.
