Hinged Capsulotomy--Does it Decrease Floaters After Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser Capsulotomy?

The objective was to compare conventional circular yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser capsulotomy with hinged capsulotomy to manage posterior capsular opacification (PCO).

This prospective, randomized clinical trial enrolled pseudophakic patients with visually significant posterior capsule opacification. Patients were randomized to undergo posterior YAG laser capsulotomy with either conventional circular technique or a new technique with an inferior hinge. At 1-month postoperatively, patients were asked if they had any annoying floaters and the responses were compared between groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

A total of 83 patients were enrolled. Forty-three patients underwent hinged posterior YAG capsulotomy and 40 patients underwent routine circular capsulotomy. At 1-month postoperatively, there was a statistically significant decrease in annoying floaters in the group that underwent circular capsulotomy (P = 0.02). There was no statistically significant association in the total energy delivered (P = 0.4) or the number of spots (P = 0.2) and patient perception of annoying floaters.

Hinged YAG capsulotomy was effective at decreasing the rate of floaters in patients with PCO.