Retinal laser treatment is a painless Out Patient procedure, lasting about 10-30 minutes. It may require more than one sesion to complete the treatment. In most of the cases, the aim of laser treatment is to try to prevent further loss of vision. It can not regain the vision already lost due to retinal disease. After the laser treatment, the patient may require to undergo repeat Fluorescein Angiography at a later date to monitor the response, and may require more laser if indicated.
Diabetes milletus can damage small vessels of the retina,
causing them to leak fluid and blood. These changes decrease vision if
the central part is affected. Laser is used to seal these leaks.
However laser is done to prevent or retard further loss of
vision and not to improve vision. In severe changes when new
blood vessels have grown (Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy),
multiple sessions of laser are needed to produce the desired
This is called Pan Retinal Photocoagulation and is highly
effective in preventing severe visual loss.
In a retinal tear or a hole without a retinal detachment,
laser is done prophylactically to seal the hole and prevent or
limit the detachment.
In patients with wet type of AMD not involving the central part, laser can be done to close the Choroidal Neovascular Membrane. This can prevent severe visual loss. However in patients with central involvement, other specific techniques involving injections of special materials in the eye to prevent furtherr proliferation, and stop existing ones.
In venous occlusions, the central retina may swell up due
to fluid collection leading to reduced vision. Such cases
require laser to decrease the swelling, which may help in
improving the vision. Venous occlusions may also lead to new
vessel formation that might cause glacuoma 9eye pressure rise),
Laser causes these vessels to regress.