Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Patients who have had photocoagulation therapy for retinal detachment are asked to have a friend or family member drive them home. The reason for this precaution is that the eye medication used to dilate the pupil of the patient's eye before the procedure...
takes several hours to wear off. During this period, the eye is unusually sensitive to light. The patient can go to work the next day with no restrictions on activity.
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Other Information
Definition
Photocoagulation therapy is a method of treating detachments (tears) of the retina (the layer of light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye) with an argon laser. The high-intensity beam of light from the laser is converted into heat, which forces protein molecules in the affected tissue to condense and seal the tear.
Purpose
The purpose of photocoagulation therapy is to reattach a torn or detached portion of the retina and/or prevent further growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina that can cause a detachment.
Other Information
Approximately 56% of all patients achieve results of 20/20 or better and over 90% achieve 20/40 or better (which is good enough to drive without corrective lenses in most regions).1 Those with moderate to high myopia (greater than 7 diopters) have a lesser chance of achieving that result. As technique and technology improve, the results continue to improve.
From: Eye Surgery Education Council
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