Retinal damage produced by intraocular fiber optic light.

During the last ten years excellent studies have demonstrated the susceptibility of the retina to damage from visible light of relatively low intensity. 1-7 Of particular clinical interest is the work of Friedman and Kuwabara 8 and Tso, Fine, and Zimmerman, 9,10 showing retinal damage in rhesus monkeys exposed to the light of an indirect ophthalmoscope. The recent successes of human pars plana vitrectomy have been greatly facilitated by the development of intraocular fiber optic light sources. 11 Intense intraocular light is desirable to improve surgical visibility and to enhance surgical cinematography. We have been concerned about the possibility of retinal damage from the fiber optic intraocular light used for pars plana vitrectomy. The purpose of this study is to determine whether intraocular fiber optic light is indeed a potential source of retinal injury, and, if so, to establish threshold levels of exposure for clinicial and histological damage.

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