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Dryad

Corneal Laser Procedure for safety and efficacy in vision improvement

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the safety and efficacy of corneal photovitrification (CPV), a corneal laser procedure, for vision improvement in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and other retinal disorders involving central vision loss.

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Methods: In this retrospective observational case series, 72 eyes of 54 patients received a single CPV treatment. Examinations included pre- and post-treatment (post-Tx) best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) and pre-Tx potential visual acuity (PVA).

Results: Safety - No clinically significant complications or serious adverse events were observed. Efficacy – Mean BCDVA improved significantly from 20/303 (1.18 logMAR, 26 letters) at baseline to 20/208 (1.02 logMAR, 34 letters) at 1m post-Tx (p = 0.000001) for a cohort of 57 eyes, improving to 20/198 (1.00 logMAR, 35 letters; 11.0 mean letters gained) at 12m (p = 0.0009) for a cohort of 29 eyes. Screening – Mean pre-Tx PVA gains correlated well with mean BCDVA improvements at 1m, 3m, 6m and 12m post-Tx.

Conclusions: Subject to a small sample size, the CPV corneal laser procedure is safe and efficacious for vision improvement in patients with nAMD and other retinal disorders involving central vision loss. The PVA test is useful for screening of candidate eyes for CPV treatment and for managing expectations.