Use of a pulsed neodymium Yag laser (picosecond) to open the posterior lens capsule in traumatic cataract: a preliminary report.

The use of an ultra short Nd Yag laser pulses is described for the opening of secondary traumatic cataract and iridocapsular synechiae. Both pigmented and non pigmented ocular tissue were cut without causing adverse thermal effects and without opening the eye. The laser instantaneous release of energy causes total ionization of the medium and formation of a plasma, followed by a hydrodynamic shock wave originating at the energy zone boundary. The temperature at the site of the laser contact cannot exceed 2 X 10(-3) degrees C, which is not harmful to the eye. Further, this procedure requires no anesthesia and does not involve introduction of foreign material into the eye. The degree of aiming accuracy, the very small diameter of the beam (50 microns) make the laser so precise that it virtually eliminates the risk of damage to the eye and/or the intraocular lens.