Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35655248›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of retina and vitreous2022

Pascal short-pulse plus subthreshold endpoint management laser therapy for diabetic macular edema: the "sandwich technique".

J A Cardillo, M W Rodrigues, R C Oliveira, A M V Messias, R Jorge

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of retina and vitreous, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

J A CardilloDepartment of Ophthalmology, CRESEP- Eye Hospital public service, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
M W RodriguesDepartment of Ophthalmology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 3900, Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil. murilowrj@yahoo.com.br.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9734-8617
R C OliveiraDepartment of Ophthalmology, CRESEP- Eye Hospital public service, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
A M V MessiasDepartment of Ophthalmology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 3900, Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
R JorgeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 3900, Bandeirantes Avenue, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil. rjorge@fmrp.usp.br.
Universidade de São Paulo · BRUniversidade de Ribeirão Preto · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiabetic macular edema (DME) is the main cause of visual loss in diabetic patients. Despite the use of anti-VEGF therapy as first-line treatment, there are many patients whose response to treatment is poor or transient at best. Sophisticated laser techniques have emerged aiming at low-intensity retinal damage, avoiding excessive heat that causes tissue necrosis and related collateral effects.

objectiveTo evaluate the effect of combined sublethal laser modalities from short-pulse duration (SPD) with endpoint management (EpM) subthreshold laser [named the "sandwich technique" (SWiT)] on central subfield thickness (CST) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with DME. MATERIAL AND

methodsIn this consecutive retrospective study, 37 patients (37 eyes) with center-involved (CI) DME were treated with SWiT laser therapy from April 2017 to June 2021. The technique consisted of a mean number of 200 (range number 50-400) SPD laser burns OCT-guided thickened area performed on the juxta- and perifoveal area 500 µm away from the foveal center, overlapping with a mean number of 1000 (range number 800-1200) EpM laser burns focused on 6 mm macular diameter area but saving 300 µm toward the foveal center. All patients underwent ophthalmological evaluations, including BCVA and CST measurement by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), before and after SWiT laser therapy. The mean follow-up time was 19.2 months (range 2-60 months).

resultsThirty-five out of 37 cases showed an improvement in CST and BCVA following treatment. At baseline, mean CST (µm) ± standard error (SE) and mean BCVA (logMAR) ± SE was 456.95 ± 37.00 and 0.71 ± 0.29, respectively. After a mean follow-up of 19.2 months, mean CST (µm) ± SE and BCVA (logMAR) ± SE were 272.09 ± 9.10 (p < 0.0001) and 0.54 ± 0.26 (p = 0.003), respectively. A statistically significant reduction in CST and improvement in BCVA was noted after laser therapy application. The anti-VEGF injection frequency was reduced during the mean 19.2 months of the study period.

conclusionsThe novel "sandwich" laser therapy aid reduced CST and improved BCVA in this retrospective case series. Further prospective studies are warranted.

Indexed as

Diabetic macular edemaMacular grid and focal laserShort-pulse laserSubthreshold laser

Identifiers

PMID35655248
PMCPMC9161489
OpenAlexW4281646607

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.