DIODE-LASER COMPARED WITH ARGON-LASER FOR TRABECULOPLASTY

A randomized prospective study on two groups of ten patients compared the efficacy of diode laser and argon laser trabeculoplasty. In the diode laser group the intraocular pressure was 23.0 +/- 3.97 mm Hg before the treatment, 20.2 +/- 4.49 mm Hg at two hours, 16.3 +/- 3.13 at six months, and 16.9 +/- 2.80 mm Hg at one year. The differences from baseline were statistically significant at six months (P = .0001) and at one year (P = .0001) but not at two hours. In the argon laser group the intraocular pressure was 23.4 +/- 3.6 mm Hg before the treatment, 22.7 +/- 4.35 mm Hg at two hours, and 17.6 +/- 4.53 mm Hg at six months. One patient had uncontrolled mean high intraocular pressure and underwent surgery. In the nine patients who completed the study the intraocular pressure at one year was 16.7 +/- 3.00 mm Hg. The differences from baseline were significant at six months (N = 10; P = .0001) and 12 months (N = 9; P = .0001) but not at two hours. Differences between the two groups were not significant at two hours, six months, and one year. Laser trabeculoplasty may be effectively with a diode laser.