Adverse Events After Nd:YAG Capsulotomy
By Jean Shaw
Selected by Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, PhD
Journal Highlights
Ophthalmology, May 2023
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Dot et al. estimated the incidence of and risk factors for three adverse events (AEs) within 12 months after Nd:YAG capsulotomy (Nd:YAG-caps). Of the three AEs of interest—ocular hypertension (OHT), macular edema (ME), and retinal detachments (RDs)—they found that OHT and ME were most likely to occur. They also found that patients who had diabetes and underwent Nd:YAG-caps between one and two years after their cataract surgery were more likely to experience an AE.
For this observational cohort study, known as the French YAG 2 Study, the researchers used a national claims database to identify patients who had Nd:YAG-caps between 2014 and 2017. The rates of all AEs, including OHT/ glaucoma and ME, were assessed quarterly during 12 months of follow-up, with follow-up extended to 18 months for RDs.
All told, 6,210 patients were included in the study population, representing 7,958 procedures. Nearly two-thirds (65.3%) were women, and the mean age was 75 ± 10.3 years. The Nd:YAG-caps procedures were categorized as very early (within one year of cataract surgery; 8.7% of participants), early (between the first and second years after cataract surgery; 23.3%), and late (two or more years after cataract surgery; 68%).
Three-month and 12-month rates for the AEs of interest were 8.6% and 13.3%, respectively. At the 12-month mark, OHT/glaucoma was the most frequent AE, with a rate of 9.6%. In comparison, the rate for ME was 6.4% during the same time period. RDs were rare, occurring at a rate of less than 1% at any time during follow-up.
Diabetes emerged as a contributing factor, with affected patients at greater risk of OHT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.233; p = .0448) and ME (HR, 1.810; p < .0001) than those without diabetes. Early Nd: YAG-caps also emerged as a risk factor, with those who underwent the procedure within one to two years after cataract surgery more likely to develop OHT than those who had it later on (HR, 1.429; p = .0002).
The original article can be found here.