Background: Diabetic retinopathy occurs as a complication of systemic diabetes . The potential use of laser for the treatment of severe non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (SNPDR) and early PDR provides another dimension in the management due to its long-term effects and relatively low costs.
Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of sub threshold micro pulse diode laser in pan retinal photocoagulation for severe non proliferative and early proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Patients and methods: This prospective study included 40 eyes of 22 subjects with diabetic retinopathy in the period between November 2019 to December 2020. History taking and ophthalmological examination and Fundus Fluorescein Angiography (FFA) were performed on all patients prior to intervention. Diode laser (810 nm) panretinal photocoagulation was performed . Follow up was conducted at 3 visits at two weeks ,1and 3 months. During each of these visits the patient's BCVA were measured and FFA was done after 3 months.
Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the BCVA at 2 weeks that decreased again at 1 month and 3 months postoperative with no statistically significant difference . According to the stage of the disease; 28 eyes remain stable with final VA similar to their initial VA, 7 eyes showed improvement in their VA and 5 eyes showed deterioration of their VA.
Conclusion: There was no evidence of laser effect or injury to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or neurosensory retina. SDM may have a preventive role to delay progression of SNPDR and early PDR during the follow up period.