Thermal eye injuries from dermatologic laser treatments—an experimental study

Abstract

In recent years, severe ocular complications after dermatological laser therapies have been reported. One hypothesis is thermal damage due to heating of the metal eye shields. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the safety of ocular metal eye shields during laser therapy of the periocular region. For the experimental study, porcine eyelids were exposed to continuously increasing laser energy and multiple pulses using a number of dermatologic laser systems. Temperature differences of the convex and concave surface of metal eye shields were constantly measured using a thermocouple. Maximum increase of the convex surface of shields was + 8.9 °C (± 0.1 °C) provided by the long-pulsed alexandrite laser (20–25-J/cm2 energy, 15-mm spot size, 20-ms pulse duration, 1 Hz). Present data indicate that metal eye shields provide sufficient thermal protection when clinically used laser parameters are applied. Other safety precautions continue to be essential to protect both the patient and the laser operator. These include the use of nonreflective metal eye shields, precise knowledge of laser physics, and a clear understanding of how they interact with ocular and periocular anatomy.