Retinal laser photocoagulation is a type of laser surgery that uses an intense beam of light to burn small areas of the retina, Opens dialog. The burns form scar tissue that seals the blood vessels. By sealing the leaky blood vessels, laser photocoagulation slows down central vision loss.
Laser surgery may be done in a doctor's office or eye clinic using a local anesthetic, Opens dialog that affects only the eye area. The surgery itself is painless.
Laser photocoagulation does not involve a hospital stay. You will need someone to pick you up at the doctor's office or clinic. Your pupils will be widened (dilated) for the surgery. And they will remain dilated for several hours. Wear sunglasses to keep bright light out of your eyes while they are dilated.
Your vision may be blurry. And your eye may hurt a little for a day or two after the surgery.
Most of the time the treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) is anti-VEGF medicines that are injected into the eye. Laser treatment is not usually recommended. But for certain cases of wet AMD, laser photocoagulation may be recommended.
Information about Laser Photocoagulation for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Laser surgery will not restore vision that has already been lost because of macular degeneration. But it can sometimes slow down or delay further damage to a person's central vision, Opens dialog. Even repeated treatment is not usually effective over the long term in preventing some loss of central vision.
The most serious drawback to laser surgery is that the laser may damage some of the nerve cells in the macula, Opens dialog. This causes some vision loss.
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Clinical Review Board All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Ignite Healthwise, LLC, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.
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