Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41604228›Full record

ArticleActa ophthalmologica2026

Comparative efficacy of Nd:YAG laser peripheral iridotomy and surgical iridectomy in modulating perioperative subclinical inflammation after DMEK.

Matteo Airaldi, Riccardo Chiorrini, Sabrina Vaccaro, Vittorio Cannistrà, Giacomo Beschi, Antonio Moramarco, Luigi Fontana, Eliana Forbice, Giuseppe Nascimbeni, Francesco Semeraro and 1 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Acta ophthalmologica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Matteo AiraldiDepartment of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9010-1208
Riccardo ChiorriniOphthalmology Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Sabrina VaccaroEye Unit, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0881-1276
Vittorio CannistràDepartment of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Giacomo BeschiDepartment of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Antonio MoramarcoOphthalmology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Luigi FontanaOphthalmology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Eliana ForbiceEye Unit, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Giuseppe NascimbeniEye Unit, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Francesco SemeraroEye Unit, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Vito RomanoDepartment of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo compare the effect of preoperative Nd:YAG laser peripheral iridotomy (PI) and intraoperative surgical iridectomy on subclinical inflammation before and after Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), using validated anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) inflammatory biomarkers.

methodsAmong 132 eyes eligible for analysis, this matched cohort study included 40 eyes (20 per group) undergoing DMEK for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy or pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Patients received either a preoperative laser PI or intraoperative surgical iridectomy. Eyes were matched according to gender, age, presence of preoperative posterior stromal ripples, baseline visual acuity and corneal thickness. Pre- and post-operative inflammation was quantified using AS-OCT measured aqueous-to-air relative intensity (ARI) and anterior chamber (AC) cell reflectivity. Post-operative trends in subclinical inflammation were compared using generalized additive models (GAM). Visual, pachymetric and endothelial outcomes, as well as post-operative complications, were compared.

resultsThe laser PI group showed greater baseline ARI (p < 0.001) consistent with higher preoperative subclinical inflammation, while surgical iridectomy eyes exhibited greater cell counts after DMEK and at final follow-up (both p = 0.05). Post-operative inflammatory spikes resolved by 6-8 weeks, with faster normalization and lower peak values in the laser PI group. Visual acuity improvement, central corneal thickness reduction, endothelial cell loss and complication rates were comparable.

conclusionsPreoperative laser PI was associated with lower early post-operative subclinical inflammation compared with intraoperative surgical iridectomy, without compromising visual or endothelial outcomes. These findings suggest that a less invasive PI approach may mitigate early post-operative immune activation, promoting smoother AC homeostasis after DMEK.

Indexed as

Descemet Stripping Endothelial KeratoplastyFuchs' Endothelial DystrophyInflammationIridectomyIrisLasers, Solid-StateLaser TherapyPostoperative ComplicationsVisual AcuityAgedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective Studiesaqueous reflectivityAS‐OCTDMEKendothelial keratoplastyinflammationperipheral iridotomy

Identifiers

PMID41604228
PMCPMC13460382

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.