Nd:YAG Laser Vitreolysis for Symptomatic Vitreous Floaters

NCT05800353 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: DongyangPH
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare in the efficacy and safety of Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters. The main question it aims to answer are: • examine the efficacy and safety in treating early onset of vitreous floaters （Weiss ring） using Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis. Participants with symptomatic floaters for one month will be randomly divided into two groups：early treatment group and delayed treatment group. Participants in the early treatment group will receive a YAG laser vitreolysis immediately and a sham laser treatment three months later, while participants in the delayed treatment group will receive a sham laser treatment immediately and a YAG laser vitreolysis three months late. Researchers will compare the two groups to see the efficacy and safety of early YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters.

Conditions

Weiss Ring

Keywords

Vitreous floaters; vitreolysis; Nd:YAG laser

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Subjective improvement in floater symptoms

  Doctor/Surveyor: Hi there, have you experienced any visual disturbances such as floaters? On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 meaning no symptoms and 10 meaning symptoms that significantly impact your daily life, how would you rate the severity of your visual disturbance caused by the floaters?

  3 Months

• Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25

  Mean change in the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25). The Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25) is a self-reported questionnaire designed to measure a patient's visual function and its impact on their quality of life. The VFQ-25 consists of 25 items, which assess various domains of vision-related quality of life, such as general vision, near and distance activities, driving, social functioning, and mental health. The minimum value for the VFQ-25 is 0, which represents the worst possible visual function and quality of life, while the maximum value is 100, indicating the best possible visual function and quality of life. Higher scores on the VFQ-25 indicate a better outcome, indicating that the patient has better visual function and quality of life.

  3 Months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Qualitative changes through OCT and fundus photography

  3 Months

• Incidence and severity of ocular and systemic adverse events

  3 Months

Study Arms (2)

early treatment group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the early treatment group will receive a YAG laser vitreolysis immediately and a sham laser treatment three months later.

Procedure: YAG vitreolysis

delayed treatment group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the delayed treatment group will receive a sham laser treatment immediately and a YAG laser vitreolysis three months late.

Procedure: YAG vitreolysis

Interventions

YAG vitreolysis PROCEDURE

A Karickoff lens with goniosol will be used to perform the YAG vitreolysis. The number of shots will be determined at the discretion of the treating physician. A focus offset may be used at investigator discretion. Single shot mode will be used. The maximum energy per pulse will be 7 mJ. The endpoint of treatment is the vaporization of the Weiss ring into gas, as well as the disruption of it into smaller fragments as well as any other vitreous opacities deemed visually significant by the treating physician. Sham laser treatment will be applied under the same procedure used for laser treatment but by turning the laser power down to 0.3 mJ and using a separate lens covered by a filter that absorbs the power, so no laser enters the eye.

Also known as: Sham YAG vitreolysis

delayed treatment group; early treatment group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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.
• Symptomatic Weiss ring (PVD) must be at least 2mm 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.
• Able to position for the YAG laser procedure.
• 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.
• Willing and able to comply with clinic visits and study-related procedures
• If the patient has two symptomatic eyes, only one eye can be randomized and included in the study.
• Provide signed informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• History of retinal tear, retinal detachment, or uveitis in the study eye
• History of diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, retinal vein occlusion, or aphakia in the study eye
• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dongyang People's Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Dongyang People's Hospital

Dongyang, Zhejiang, 322100, China

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Hangshuai Z, Yanhua J, Yao Z, Guangjin Z, Hongyan W, Fanlian C. Efficacy and safety of early YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters: the study protocol for a randomized clinical trial. Trials. 2024 Jan 13;25(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-07924-1.

  PMID: 38218919 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

vitreous floaters

Study Officials

• Guangjin Zhao

  Dongyang People's Hospital

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Deputy chief physician of ophthalmology

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 10, 2023
• First Posted: April 5, 2023
• Study Start: November 22, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2024
• Study Completion: December 31, 2024
• Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)