Laser applications in glaucoma filtering surgery

Summary form only given. Laser sclerostomy essentially requires that the organic polymers of the sclera are fragmented and ejected in a gaseous state. This tissue phase change may be brought about by 1) photovaporization: thermal molecular fragmentation; 2) photodisruption: plasma expansion and predominantly mechanical molecular fragmentation, or 3) photodissociation: direct nonthermal decomposition. Lasers currently available to achieve these ends include: holmium:YAG (photothermal), Q-switched Nd:YAG (photodisruptive), excimer and erbium:YAG (photodissociative). This presentation reviews these laser systems and their current efficacy in laser sclerostomy. >