The IRIS Medical Large Spot Size delivery devices and 810nm OcuLight® SL/SLx lasers are indicated for all retinal photocoagulation including transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT). TTT is a mild form of retinal photocoagulation using a low irradiance dose of infrared (810nm) laser energy delivered through the pupil to treat abnormal tissue inside the eye while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue and preserving vision. It is typically used in the treatment of select intraocular tumors such as small choroidal hemangiomas, choroidal melanomas, and retinoblastomas, and is a promising treatment method for patients with occult wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Treatment of Ocular Tumors
TTT photocoagulation kills cancerous cells by slow heating the cells to around 50° or 60° C. It has shown precise tumor destruction with resolution of subretinal fluid and can be a treatment option in select cases of choroidal hemangiomas that fail to respond to argon laser photocoagulation. The deeper penetration of the 810nm infrared thermotherapy also spares some of the internal retinal structures.
TTT photocoagulation may also be an effective treatment for small posterior choroidal melanoma, especially those near the optic disc and fovea, and holds promise as an effective non-surgical outpatient procedure that can be repeated.
Furthermore, TTT appears to be a safe and effective alternative treatment for selected posterior pole retinoblastoma and when combined with chemotherapy, thermotherapy provides satisfactory tumor control, leaving the child with a reasonably small scar, thus preserving more vision.
Treatment of Choroidal Lesions in Occult Wet AMD
Initial results from 2 recent studies indicate that TTT photocoagulation may be an effective treatment method for patients with occult wet AMD. Both resolution of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and stabilization of visual acuity were particularly encouraging in patients with occult subfoveal CNV and demonstrate the 810nm diode lasers ability to treat deep retinal tissue, such as subfoveal lesions minimizing damage to the neurosensory retina.