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YAG Vitreolysis for Floaters

A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of YAG Vitreolysis Versus Sham for Symptomatic Weiss Ring Due to Posterior Vitreous Detachment

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02897583
Enrollment
52
Registered
2016-09-13
Start date
2015-02-28
Completion date
2016-08-31
Last updated
2016-09-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Floaters, Posterior Vitreous Detachment, Weiss Ring

Brief summary

This is a single-center, prospective randomized controlled trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of YAG vitreolysis versus sham for symptomatic Weiss ring due to posterior vitreous detachment.

Detailed description

52 subjects will be enrolled in the trial and randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either YAG laser vitreolysis or sham laser for symptomatic Weiss ring due to posterior vitreous detachment. Subjects will follow up at one week, one month, three months, and six months after the procedure. Assessments will include a questionnaire regarding duration of floater symptoms prior to presentation, severity of floater symptoms, number of floaters, and activity most inconvenienced by presence of floaters; Medical, ocular history and demographics collected; ETDRS and Snellen visual acuity; Optos color photography; Heidelberg Spectralis Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and infrared photo; B scan ultrasound of Weiss ring with caliper measurement of nearest distance between Weiss ring and retina, Weiss ring and posterior lens capsule (only in phakic eyes); Slit lamp and indirect ophthalmoscopy with scleral depression of study eye; Applanation tonometry; Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (VFQ 25). Qualitative change in Optos photography will evaluated by a masked physician.

Interventions

Sponsors

Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Symptoms of floaters that correlate to the presence of a posterior vitreous detachment for at least 6 months 2. Documented posterior vitreous detachment on clinical examination, OCT, and B scan 3. Self-rating of visual disturbance by the floaters must be at least 4 on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being no symptoms to 10 being debilitating symptoms. 4. Symptomatic Weiss ring (PVD) must be at least 3 mm away from the retina and 5 mm from the posterior lens capsule of the crystalline lens, as measured on B-scan. For pseudophakic patients, there is no minimum required distance from the intraocular lens. 5. Able to position for the YAG laser procedure. 6. Accept the risks of YAG laser including but not limited to retinal detachment, intraocular hemorrhage, retinal damage, cataract formation, optic nerve damage, inflammation, and irreversible loss of vision. 7. Willing and able to comply with clinic visits and study-related procedures 8. If the patient has two symptomatic eyes, only one eye can be randomized and included in the study. 9. Provide signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria

1. Snellen best corrected visual acuity worse than 20/50 in the fellow eye 2. History of retinal tear, retinal detachment, or uveitis in the study eye 3. History of diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, retinal vein occlusion, or aphakia in the study eye 4. History of glaucoma or high intraocular pressure defined as having a history of glaucoma surgery or currently taking two or more topical glaucoma medications in the study eye

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Subjective improvement in floater symptoms6 MonthsQuestionnaire which asks: Please rate your visual disturbance by the floaters on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being no symptoms to 10 being debilitating symptoms, Please quantify your post-operative improvement as a percentage, and How would you describe your floaters today compared to right before the laser procedure?

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Best Corrected Visual Acuity6 MonthsMean change in visual acuity from Baseline as measured by ETDRS vision testing at 6 months
VFQ-25 Near Activities6 MonthsMean change in baseline in the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) near activities subscale
VFQ-25 Distance Activities6 MonthsMean change in baseline in the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25) distance activities subscale
Qualitative changes on infrared and color photography6 MonthsQualitative changes on infrared and color photography
Incidence and severity of ocular and systemic adverse events6 MonthsIncidence and severity of ocular and systemic adverse events

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 26, 2026