[Early endothelial complications after treatment using a neodymium-Yag laser]

The authors analysed the corneal endothelium after Neodymium-Yag laser treatment. The Visulas-Yag laser was used. The endothelial study was performed by the specular microscopy (Pocklington). The study included 46 patients divided into 2 groups: in the first group, 33 eyes had a capsulotomy (17 aphakic and 16 pseudophakic): in the second group, 13 eyes had an iridotomy (3 pseudophakic and 10 phakic). In the group of capsulotomies, the energy used for the impact was 2.6 +/- 0.7 mJ and the total energy was 110 +/- 80 mJ. The cellular loss was 7.4% on the third day and 6.5% by the third month. In this series the cellular loss of aphakic patients was 8.1% on the third day and 5.9% by the third month. In the pseudophakic patients, the loss was 6.5% on the third day and 7.3% by the third month. There was a significant correlation between the endothelial cell loss and the total energy delivered (r: 0.42: p less than 0.02). In the group of iridotomies, the energy for each impact was 3 +/- 1.3 mJ and the total energy was 118.7 +/- 92 mJ. The cellular endothelial density decreases to 7.4% the third day and to 3.8% by the third month. There was no significant correlation between the endothelial cell loss and the total energy delivered. Immediately after the treatment by Neodymium-Yag laser, there were round dark endothelium wounds near the treated zone. They may put into question the functional prognosis by the treated eye.