Laser Beam Operation to Fix Blood Vessels in the Eye

Laser Beam Operation to Fix Blood Vessels in the Eye

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QUESTION: I am a long time sufferer from diabetes, with the result that my
vision is beginning to fail. I was referred to an eye doctor, who suggests
that he may be able to help with a new operation that uses a laser beam to fix
the blood vessels in my eye. Is this an experimental procedure, and how does
it work to fix the problem?
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ANSWER: The use of lasers in eye surgery is no longer considered
experimental, but is one of the most important advances in this field that has
occurred in the past ten years. Because laser beams are really just powerful
beams of concentrated light, and the eye ball is filled with transparent
material that allows the laser beam through, there are now many new techniques
in eye surgery that make use of laser beam surgery. Your case, called
"diabetic retinopathy," can be helped but not cured using this procedure. In
diabetic retinopathy, two problems may be occurring. In one type of this
complication of diabetes, new vessels grow on the surface of the retina which
can hemorrhage and create scars that destroy the cells that detect light and
provide vision. If this is the case, your physician will be able to destroy
these blood vessels before they can cause any more damage. In another form of
the disease, small blood vessels located in the retina may leak, once again
causing scars that destroy vision. With the laser beam, the doctor seals
these leaks, and further deterioration of vision is prevented. While new
sight is not created by this process, your loss of vision is limited, and with
regular eye examinations and repeated procedures if necessary, can be kept to
a minimum. The procedure is a simple one in expert hands, and does not
require lengthy hospitalization. Your situation helps to emphasize that all
chronic diabetic patients should have regular vision examinations to prevent
vision loss, now that we have these new and effective treatments.