TUNABLE DYE LASER PHOTOCOAGULATION FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION COMPLICATING AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

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Abstract
We report our first 146 consecutive eyes treated with tunable dye laser for choroidal neovascular membrane (NVM) complicating age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They were treated with the orange (595 nm; N=6), red (630 nm; N=23), yellow (577 nm; N=67), or sequential red-yellow (N=50) wavelength of the tunable dye laser. All had a minimum 180 days follow-up. Eyes were analyzed as two groups categorized by pretreatment visual acuity (VA): 20/100 or better (N=101), and 20/200 or worse (N=45). Change in VA between baseline and most recent follow-up was studied by age, laser color, previous non-dye laser treatment, and number of treatments. Age was a statistically significant variable (x2=6.61, degree of freedom =2, P<0.05). In eyes with initial VA of 20/100 or better, age also was significant for cumulative percent loss in VA of ≥2 lines. We discontinued using orange after poor early clinical results. Our results suggest that the dye laser's variety and combination of wavelengths may provide advan- tages in treating NVM complicating AMD.

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