Objective: Evaluation of whether the Neodymium: Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd: YAG) laser produces quantitative changes in macular and peripapillary microvascular structures, and choriocapillaries during Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy for posterior capsular opacification (PCO).

Material and Method: A total of 186 patients who underwent capsulotomy for PCO with Nd: YAG laser with a total energy of less than 50 mJ and without damaging the anterior vitreous were studied. Inflammation and intraocular pressure (IOP) increase that may develop after laser were controlled with medication. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-angiography measurements were made in 59 eyes of 59 patients who met the study criteria, within ½ hour post-laser and on the 30th day. Since the fellow eyes of 28 patients had an intraocular lens and didn’t have PCO, measurements were also made in fellow eyes. The measurements of the fellow eyes were compared with those of the laser-treated eyes.

Results: There was no difference between macular microvascular vessel densities (VDs), radial peripapillary capillary VDs, choriocapillaris flow areas, retina nerve fiber layer thicknesses, macular thicknesses, subfoveal choroidal thicknesses measured within half an hour after laser, and measured on the 30th day. There was no difference between the measurements in fellow eyes and those in laser-treated eyes.

Conclusion: In capsulotomy for PCO, it was observed that the Nd: YAG laser, which was applied with a low total energy and without disturbing the anterior vitreous, by keeping the inflammation and IOP increase under control, didn’t cause quantitative changes in the choriocapillaries, macular and peripapillary microvascularity, and it was safe as a result.