The surgery is an effective procedure that aims to seal or destroy leaking blood vessels found in the retina. It can be conducted by laser photocoagulation or photodynamic surgery. These fragile blood vessels may start to leak due to various factors such as aging, smoking, and sometimes a genetic health problem. It is prevalent in older people and may start to show gradual symptoms; early treatment helps preserve vision and stops progression. The most effective treatment provided is laser surgery, which is a short procedure conducted using laser treatment. This blog provides a further elaboration of the symptoms, causes, macular degeneration and laser surgery.
Symptoms of macular degeneration
Blurry vision: The individual may experience blurriness with their central vision.
Distorted vision: They start to see straight lines as bent, wavy or crooked.
Dark or blank spots: They may start to notice missing patches or dark areas in the middle of what they see.
Low light trouble: Experience problems with vision in dim lighting
The causes of macular degeneration
Age: The chances of a person experiencing the health problem increase as they grow, and it is more prevalent from the ages of 50 to 60.
Smoking: It accelerates age-related degeneration, as smoking reduces the flow of oxygen, depletes nutrients needed for the eyes, and causes cellular stress.
Family history: This health problem can be passed on to another person through genetic heredity.
Diet and health: Poor health causes deprivation of the necessary nutrients for the eyes, which accelerates eye degeneration.
The laser surgery for macular degeneration
The laser surgery is conducted with the aim of sealing or destroying abnormal leaking blood vessels behind the retina in people with wet-age macular degeneration. By conducting this surgery, the doctors are able to preserve vision, stop the progression of the eye problem and reduce the frequency of treatment. This surgery is categorized into;
Laser photocoagulation: This procedure is able to seal leaky blood vessels by using a high-intensity hot laser beam to create small burns that seal the blood vessels, form scar tissue and stop the progression of the health problem.
The procedure The doctor administers anesthesia before the surgery to relax and numb the body.
- The doctor then places a special contact lens on the patient’s eye so that the light beam focuses directly on the retina.
- The directed light focuses on the abnormal vessels, and the patient sees bursts of light.
Photo dynamic therapy: This procedure aims at sealing the blood vessels by administering light-sensitive drug with a low energy which is accompanied with a cold laser to activate the medicine to activate the medicine and seal the blood vessels without causing thermal damage.
The procedure
- The doctor prescribes a photosensitive drug that travels in the bloodstream and targets growing cells and abnormal blood vessels.
- The doctor administers anesthesia to numb the eye, as well as administering eye drops to dilate the eye.
- The doctor directs a low-power, nonthermal cold laser on the target area for a short time.
- The photosensitive drug reacts to the laser, which causes a reactive form of energy that seals or destroys the abnormal tissue.
- After surgery, the individual wears a protective eye cover to prevent direct contact with the sun and bright indoor light.
Conclusion
Macular degeneration has the capacity to progress and cause severe symptoms leading to critical vision loss; seeking early treatment can stop progression, whilst late treatment may increase the chances of frequent laser macular surgeries and reduce the chances of success. The procedure is minimally invasive and fast as well. The surgery may cause swelling, inflammation and blurriness, but it subsides with time and medical prescription. Dr. H Mitra at Mitra Eye Hospital has the facilities and the expertise to conduct effective laser surgery for macular degeneration to stop progression and preserve vision.
FAQ’s
What is the success rate for laser surgery for macular degeneration?
The laser surgery has a higher chance of stopping progression and preserving vision, but it does not provide a cure for the eye problem.
Can eyeglasses replace laser surgery for macular degeneration?
Glasses cannot replace laser surgery because they are for other purposes.