AIM:Toinvestigatetheeffectsofanewopeningpatterninneodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet(Nd:YAG)laserposteriorcapsulotomyonvisualfunction.METHODS:Thistechniquewasconductedalongacircularpattern.Theenergyrangedbetween0.8and1.2mJ/pulsewasconsumedandmeantotalenergylevelswere74±21mJ(mean±standarddeviation:SD,from40to167)andlasershotsaimedat150μmawaybehindadatumpointandwentalonganimaginarylinewhichextends0.5mminsidefromopticmarginandintothecircularenblocpattern.Vitreousstandswereattachedwithfragmentandthentheywerecutoffbythelaseraftercircularapplication.Thecircularfragmentwascompletelyseparatedfromvitreous,andthenthisfragmentwasquicklysunkinintravitrealspace.RESULTS:Thefollow-upperiodrangesfromatleastaweekto40mo,making15.8moonaverage.Theproceduraloutcomeshowed96%(74eyesoutofthe77eyes)enhancementinpatients’visualacuity.Cystoidmacularedemaorretinaldetachmentwasnotobservedinanyofthepatientsduringfollow-upperiods.CONCLUSION:Thisnewtechniqueisexpectedtoimprovetheweaknessesthattheconventionalprocedureshavebyaddingtheprocesstocutoffvitreousstandsattachedwiththefragmentbythelasertothecircularapplication.
