Background The most common long-term complication of phacoemulsification cataract surgery is posterior capsule opacification or secondary cataract. Currently, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet is the most efficacious treatment for visually significant posterior capsule opacification in pseudophakic eyes. Laser capsulotomy is another option. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the central retina’s response to yttrium aluminum garnet laser capsulotomy using optical coherence tomography. Patients and methods This cross-sectional comparative study was carried out on 30 pseudophakic eyes of 30 patients who underwent phacoemulsification at the Ophthalmic Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University. All patients underwent examination of visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, fundus examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and slit lamp biomicroscopy. Results The mean central retinal thickness and all retinal quadrants in the inner circle (3 mm diameter) showed a highly significant difference ( P <0.01) between the preoperative and 1-month postoperative values. In comparison to preoperative and 1-month postoperative values, the mean central retinal thickness and all retinal quadrants in the outer circle (5 mm diameter) exhibited a statistically significant difference ( P <0.05). The two parameters exhibited a highly significant positive correlation ( r =0.8201, P <0.001). Conclusions Immediately following the neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser capsulotomy, the visual axis was cleared of opacification, resulting in an immediate enhancement in visual functions.
Abozied et al. (2026) studied this question.