[Nanosecond retinal laser therapy: three years of practical experience].

Objective: This study evaluated the outcomes of a 36-month follow-up after treatment with the ELLEX 2RT nanosecond laser.

Material and methods: The study included 72 patients divided into two groups. Group 1 received 2RT nanosecond laser therapy, while group 2 did not undergo laser treatment. Patients with early and intermediate stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were enrolled. The exclusion criteria from the study were the presence of reticular pseudodrusen, drusenoid detachment (avascular pigment epithelial detachment) measuring >1000 μm, and areas of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Results: After treatment, visual acuity in group 1 did not change and remained stable at 0.99, while in group 2 there was a decrease in mean uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) from 0.98 to 0.86. In addition, OCT findings in group 1 showed no progression in 96% (41 eyes) of cases. At the same time, in 2% (1 eye) of cases, there was a significant positive trend in relation to retinal anatomy according to OCT, and in 2% (1 eye) of cases, despite some negative dynamics in retinal anatomy, there was no decrease in vision. In contrast, the disease progressed to the wet form in 19% of group 2 patients after 36 months of follow-up. According to microperimetry, retinal sensitivity in the macular area and in 2RT foci in group 1 was stable or slightly improved. There was a trend toward improved fixation on microperimetry.

Conclusion: Results of the study show that after 2RT therapy the condition of the retina can stabilize or even improve, supporting the broader use of retinal laser stimulation using a nanosecond laser in patients with early forms of AMD to prevent the progression of the disease and its transition to the wet form.