“What eye conditions are treated with lasers?”
I am a 28 year old male. I want to know what eye conditions are treated with lasers?
6 Answers
There are several eye laser procedures, including refractive, glaucoma, laser assisted cataract surgery and cosmetic and functional eyelid procedures. A few years ago retinal laser procedures were performed routinely for vascular ischemic diseases.
Lasers can be used for a wide variety of treatments in the eye. A laser can be used to change the shape of the cornea, create a therapeutic channel or hole in the iris, widen the eye's drainage structures (trabecular meshwork) to lower eye pressure, remove scar tissue from the back surface of a lens implant in the eye, prevent a hole or tear in the retina from extending, and to control diabetic retinopathy in the back of the eye. If you have any questions regarding your particular diagnosis and treatment options, certainly check in with your local Ophthalmologist, you ask an excellent question.
Myopia. Narrow angle glaucoma open angle glaucoma. Retinal tears. Vascular blockage in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy. To name just a few.
Dr. LMJ
Dr. LMJ
Lasers have always been important in ophthalmology. Your question is broad and can be divided into two parts: testing and treatments. Treatments include refractive eye surgery to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, glaucoma, dry eye, recurrent cornmeal erosion syndrome, retinal disease including some diabetic conditions, retinal tears, holes, aneurysms and the like, They can also be used in some parts of cataract surgery. Testing utilizes the lasers to delineate thin tissue layers in all areas of the eye. But the time you read this, I would imagine yet another use for lasers will be figured out for eyes. Have a good day and stay safe. Dr. D
There are several eye conditions that Ophthalmologists (physicians/MDs) treat with very different types of lasers.
The first one everyone knows something about is LASIK, which requires an excimer laser to ablate or remove precise, small amounts of tissue by focused energy that basically turns it into smoke. Once a flap is created, or the surface cells removed by other means, an excimer laser can reshape the corneal tissue to remove or reduce one's dependence on glasses.
That same procedure in modern times and practices, uses a second laser: a femto-second laser to cut the initial flap (instead of using a blade). Subsequently, this type of laser has also found use in premium cataract surgery where initial incisions and lens softening are done using this laser. It is used as well for corneal astigmatism correction during that surgery.
There are a number of lasers used in both retinal and glaucoma surgery. In the case of surgery for a retinal tear, typically an argon laser is used to burn tiny weld spots around the border of a tear (called a pexy) in order to wall off a small tear to keep it from growing, or possibly when reattaching an already partially detached retina. Sometimes this laser is used in the clinic setting, and other times in the operating room.
In glaucoma surgery a YAG laser is used in patients that have a narrow angle which could lead to a context where the angle closes obstructing the eyes drainage system, which then leads to an eye pressure that shoots up very high and can cause permanent nerve damage to the nerves of the eye, most importantly the optic nerve which is the pipeline to the brain and how we see. So, by using the yag laser to create a little fluid vent hole in the iris, the cascade of events leading to a closed drain and high pressure can be avoided.
That same YAG laser is also used to clean off the back of an artificial lens, sometime in the months or years following cataract surgery. The cataract never comes back, but sometimes the natural membrane that the new artificial lens sits on can become somewhat opacified over time. The laser is used to open up a window, like a glass cutter, returning the patient to her prior clear post-op vision. This takes only a short time in clinic.
This same laser has been used to cut tiny sutures and for other purposes as well.
There is also another laser used to stimulate the actual drain of the eye in glaucoma patients, as over time it may decrease its outflow rate. The SLT laser technique works well for many patients, opening up the flow rate through the trabecular meshwork drainage system, and lowering the average intraocular pressure.
Finally, laser can be used to destroy some of the cells producing fluid in the eye, thus reducing pressure by lowering the inflow of fluid into the eye.
The first one everyone knows something about is LASIK, which requires an excimer laser to ablate or remove precise, small amounts of tissue by focused energy that basically turns it into smoke. Once a flap is created, or the surface cells removed by other means, an excimer laser can reshape the corneal tissue to remove or reduce one's dependence on glasses.
That same procedure in modern times and practices, uses a second laser: a femto-second laser to cut the initial flap (instead of using a blade). Subsequently, this type of laser has also found use in premium cataract surgery where initial incisions and lens softening are done using this laser. It is used as well for corneal astigmatism correction during that surgery.
There are a number of lasers used in both retinal and glaucoma surgery. In the case of surgery for a retinal tear, typically an argon laser is used to burn tiny weld spots around the border of a tear (called a pexy) in order to wall off a small tear to keep it from growing, or possibly when reattaching an already partially detached retina. Sometimes this laser is used in the clinic setting, and other times in the operating room.
In glaucoma surgery a YAG laser is used in patients that have a narrow angle which could lead to a context where the angle closes obstructing the eyes drainage system, which then leads to an eye pressure that shoots up very high and can cause permanent nerve damage to the nerves of the eye, most importantly the optic nerve which is the pipeline to the brain and how we see. So, by using the yag laser to create a little fluid vent hole in the iris, the cascade of events leading to a closed drain and high pressure can be avoided.
That same YAG laser is also used to clean off the back of an artificial lens, sometime in the months or years following cataract surgery. The cataract never comes back, but sometimes the natural membrane that the new artificial lens sits on can become somewhat opacified over time. The laser is used to open up a window, like a glass cutter, returning the patient to her prior clear post-op vision. This takes only a short time in clinic.
This same laser has been used to cut tiny sutures and for other purposes as well.
There is also another laser used to stimulate the actual drain of the eye in glaucoma patients, as over time it may decrease its outflow rate. The SLT laser technique works well for many patients, opening up the flow rate through the trabecular meshwork drainage system, and lowering the average intraocular pressure.
Finally, laser can be used to destroy some of the cells producing fluid in the eye, thus reducing pressure by lowering the inflow of fluid into the eye.
Many, refractive errors, Retinal and glaucoma diseases
