Single session of Pascal versus multiple sessions of conventional laser for panretinal photocoagulation in proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a comparitive study.

BACKGROUND

Panretinal photocoagulation remains the gold standard for treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, which can be done in a single session or in multiple sessions. However, because of different reasons, single session is less frequently practiced. We describe the results of a single session of pattern scan laser versus multiple sessions of conventional laser in cases of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed on 50 patients (100 eyes), in whom proliferative diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed recently. Two eyes of an individual patient were randomly assigned, one for a single session of panretinal photocoagulation using pattern scan laser and the other for multiple sessions of conventional laser.

RESULTS

Our study confirms that single session is effective and even better than conventional laser in relation to the effect of treatment.

CONCLUSION

Complications and the associated pain are less; thus, the patient's acceptance of PASCAL was high, and a single session was well tolerated with topical anesthesia alone.