title: Internal sclerostomy with the Nd: YAG contact laser versus thermal sclerostomy in rabbits.
abstract: The authors undertook an investigation to evaluate the efficacy and complications of performing internal sclerostomy with the synthetic sapphire contact neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser compared with standard external thermal sclerostomy. Fifteen rabbits underwent internal laser sclerostomy in one eye; 12 additional rabbits underwent a standard external thermal sclerostomy in one eye. The fellow eyes served as controls. The differences between the groups in duration of functional blebs and pressure reduction were statistically significant (P = 0.034 and 0.0013, respectively). The evaluation of success (as determined by a pressure reduction greater than 3 mmHg between both eyes after digital pressure) using life-survival analysis indicated that the success rate of the laser-treated group was significantly different from the standard surgical group (P = 0.002). Histologically, there was less inflammation in the laser-treated group 2 days postoperatively. The complications of the laser treatment include focal injury to the overlying cornea, adjacent iris stroma, and lens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago 60612.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Higginbotham
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peyman
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000818:Animals; D002425:Cautery; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000601:surgery; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D004210:Dissection; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D053685:Laser Therapy; D009354:Neodymium; D011817:Rabbits; D012599:Sclerostomy / Q000379:methods*; D015019:Yttrium
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D009354:Neodymium; D015019:Yttrium