ABSTRACT
The Erbium:YAG laser has a wavelength of 2 940 nm. Being close to the maximal absorption of water, the Erbium:YAG laser is ideal for ablating tissue with a high water content. In ophthalmology, several applications of the Erbium:YAG lasers have been tried or are currently under investigation: corneal ablation in refractive surgery,1-8 lacrimal intervention with or without endoscopy,9,10 plastic and cosmetic eyelid surgery with skin resurfacing,11-14 cataract surgery8,15-18 and vitrectomy.8,18,19-23
Three major areas of glaucoma surgery have been investigated with various lasers, especially the 2.94 µm Erbium:YAG laser, over the last decade: penetrating laser sclerostomy ab externo and ab interno; trabecular ablation ab interno; lamellar sclerectomy ab externo.
