The effect of Nd:YAG laser treatment of posterior capsule opacification on anterior chamber depth and refraction in pseudophakic eyes

PURPOSE: This was a prospective descriptive study to determine the changes in intraocular lens (IOL) position after neodymium-doped yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy by measuring anterior chamber depth (ACD) and refraction, including the spherical equivalent (SE) and cylinder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven pseudophakic eyes with posterior capsule opacification of 29 patients were included. Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy was performed. Patients’ ACD and refraction were measured before the treatment, as well as after the treatment at 1 week and 3 months. IOLMaster(®) and an automated refractometer were used at the Department of Ophthalmology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in ACD and SE before and after laser treatment at 1 week and 3 months (repeated analysis of variance, P=0.582 and P=0.269, respectively). Both backward IOL movement (number [n]=29) and forward IOL movement (n=18) were found. Some changes in cylindrical refraction were found at 1 week, but decreased at 3 months after capsulotomy (baseline cylinder: −1.16; cylinder at 1 week and 3 months: −1.00 and −1.14, respectively; P=0.012). These changes were the same with one-piece and three-piece IOLs. CONCLUSION: Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy did not significantly change ACD and SE. It led to cylinder change at 1 week after laser, but the effect decreased at 3 months. This effect was small and may not be clinically significant.