Techniques of Argon Laser Photocoagulation of Diabetic Disk New Vessels

Diabetic Retinopathy: Management 25 Years Ago

“…Visual acuity was decreased in argon-photocoagulated eyes, but was within an acceptable level because of the benefit of reducing severe visual loss from vitreous hemorrhage. Corroboration of the DRS data continued to be noted by Hercules et al, 61 Little, 24,62 and others performing laser photocoagulation S67 in diabetic retinopathy eyes. The third DRS article was published in 1979 and it elucidated the high risk characteristics (HRCs) mentioned above: NVD greater than standard photograph 10A (approximately 1/3-1/4 of a disk area), NVD itself, NVE greater than 2 disk areas, and association of preretinal hemorrhage.…”

“…A distinguished group of clinical researchers subsequently published further information with the use of the argon laser. Further information and elucidation of the role of argon laser in treating retinal diseases came from Little et al, 24 Patz et al, 25 Okun et al, 26 Wetzig and Worlton 18,27 and Fankhauser et al 28 -30 In the development of treatment for any disease, the clinician must determine two important factors. The first factor is how to define the disease and the second is to understand how to apply treatment in a fashion that will render significance as to which modalities work and are beneficial and reveal others that may not and specifically to exclude any treatment that might produce harm.…”

The role of dynamic indocyanine green angiography in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation

“…Retinal feeder vessel obliteration is a technique that was initially introduced for treatment of sickle cell retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the 1970s 11 12. As with other retinal vascular pathologies treated with feeder vessel treatment, reperfusion of the occluded artery is common.…”

Controversial aspects of ablative photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy (d.r.)

“…The concept of ablative photocoagulation and its propagation are based on two observations: 1) Ablative photocoagulation has proved to be able to stop or slow down the evolution of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in general (Okun & Johnston, 1968;Wessing & Meyer-Schwickerath, 1968;James & L'Esp6-rance, 1974) and especially in those cases with disc neovascularization (Aiello et al, 1968); 2) the results of direct treatment of disc neovascularization with focal or feeder frond coagulation with the argon laser as propagated by Little, Zweng and L'Esp~rance (L'Esp~rance, 1973;Little & Zweng, 1973) did not prove satisfactory, whereas ablative treatment alone or in combination with feeder frond coagulation achieved much better results (Little et al, 1976).…”