Comparison of the 1-Year Visual and Anatomical Outcomes between Subthreshold Red (670 nm) and Yellow (577 nm) Micro-Pulse Laser Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema

Abstract

We investigated the efficacy and safety of red (670 nm) subthreshold micropulse laser (SMPL) treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME) and compared the 1-year treatment outcomes of red and yellow (577 nm) SMPL for DME. A medical chart review was performed in 43 consecutive eyes of 35 patients who underwent red or yellow SMPL treatment for DME and were followed up for 12 months. There were 26 and 17 eyes in the yellow and red SMPL groups, respectively. The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was maintained throughout the follow-up period of 12 months in the yellow and red SMPL groups (p = 0.39, p = 0.70, respectively). The central retinal thickness (CRT) measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was significantly decreased at 12 months from baseline in the yellow and red SMPL groups (p = 0.047, p = 0.03, respectively). Although the amount of CRT reduction in the red SMPL group was significantly greater than that in the yellow SMPL group at 8 months from baseline (p = 0.02), the significance disappeared at the final follow-up period (p = 0.44). The red SMPL maintained the BCVA in patients with center-involving DME. The mean CRT in the red SMPL group significantly decreased, and the amount of CRT reduction was equivalent to that in the yellow SMPL group.

Yellow Subthreshold Micropulse Laser in Retinal Diseases: An In-Depth Analysis and Review of the Literature

“…Overall, a worsening of both BCVA and CMT was not observed in any of the cohorts evaluated [ 29 – 42 ]. In particular, a significant CMT decrease and BCVA improvement in two thirds were demonstrated [ 29 – 37 ] and in half of the studies [ 29 , 30 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 40 , 41 ], respectively, whereas a stabilization of these features was described in the remaining cases throughout the entire follow-up [ 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 , 37 – 42 ].…”

Evaluation of diode laser-assisted treatment for benign eyelid margin lesions

“…It allows treatment closer to the fovea. Therefore, there are many research results on diseases such as diabetic macular edema and CSC [19,20] When applied to the skin, the selective photothermolysis system targets the lesion speci cally without causing thermal damage to surrounding tissue, which helps to avoid scarring and dyspigmentation [16].…”

Subthreshold Micropulse Laser for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Review

“…The efficacy of MPLT was confirmed in various studies (Table 3) as a statistically significant improvement in or stabilization of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and a decrease in CRT [14,16,19,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54]. The first published report on 810 nm micropulsed diode laser was described in 1997 by Friberg et al [55], and it showed clinical effectiveness in the resolution of a DME.…”

“…A recent study by Kikushima et al [19] compared the 577 nm with the novel 670 nm micropulse treatment. Both the wavelengths seemed to be equally effective, however, the use of the 670 nm laser resulted in less scattering and better penetration.…”

“…Commercially available devices can deliver conventional and micropulse shots at 577 nm that simultaneously enable the combination therapy of the grid micropulse laser and the direct photocoagulation of microaneurysms [18]. The 670 nm laser is less scattered and not absorbed by hemoglobin and xanthophyll, thus, it seems to be safe for the neurosensory retina [19]. There is no consensus on which wavelength is the most favorable for the treatment for DMEs, thus, all the above-described devices have a high safety profile and are recommended for micropulse use.…”