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Subthreshold laser treatment for non-center involved diabetic macular edema via non-damaging retinal laser therapy (NRT)

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of subthreshold laser treatment via non-damaging retinal laser therapy (NRT) in patients with non-center involved diabetic macular edema (non-CI DME).

Methods

In this prospective controlled study, NRT with 577 nm wavelength was performed to the edematous inner subfields as needed at 3 monthly intervals, while the control group received no treatment. If CI-DME developed in either group, intravitreal anti-VEGF was performed and the eye was excluded from subsequent analysis.

Results

A total of 75 eyes (36 study eyes, 39 controls) were evaluated. The change in superior, nasal and temporal inner subfield thicknesses over time and between groups was found significant (P = 0.004, P < 0.001, P = 0.04 respectively). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change was not significant over time and between groups (P = 0.69). Rates of CI-DME development requiring intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment were not different during the first and second years (P = 0.171, 0.908). No laser scar was detected in any eye in fundus autofluorescence imaging.

Conclusion

NRT performed as needed at 3 monthly intervals is effective after 21 months of follow up in the treatment of non-CI DME and it was safe. With this method, it may be foreseen that BCVA will be better preserved in the long term by avoiding the possible side effects of conventional laser.

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Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript. No funding was received for this work from any of the organization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Üniversiteler Mahallesi Bilkent Cad. No: 1 Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey

    Fatma Sema Akkan Aydogmus & Defne Kalayci

  2. Veni Vidi Eye Hospital, Izmir, Turkey

    Burcu Polat Gultekin

Authors
  1. Fatma Sema Akkan Aydogmus
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  2. Defne Kalayci
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  3. Burcu Polat Gultekin
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Fatma Sema Akkan Aydogmus, Defne Kalayci and Burcu Polat Gultekin. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Fatma Sema Akkan Aydogmus and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fatma Sema Akkan Aydogmus.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. None of the authors have any proprietary interests.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Akkan Aydogmus, F.S., Kalayci, D. & Polat Gultekin, B. Subthreshold laser treatment for non-center involved diabetic macular edema via non-damaging retinal laser therapy (NRT). Int Ophthalmol 44, 129 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-024-03065-1

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