Laser Surgery or Cryotherapy (freezing) for Retinal Tear
- This treatment is performed to create a small barrier scar around a Retinal Tear to seal this area and prevent a Retinal Detachment. The treatment is localized to the area of retinal weakness and does not affect any other normal areas of the retina.
Photodynamic Laser Therapy
- This laser surgery treatment involves the use of a special light-activated drug that is injected into the arm where it accumulates in the abnormal blood vessels within the eye. A special low-intensity laser targeted toward the abnormal vessels activates the drug and reduces the abnormal blood vessel leakage without affecting any surrounding normal blood vessels.
Focal Thermal Laser
- This laser surgery treatment utilizes a high-energy, focused beam of light to produce a small burn. This treatment is used to seal abnormal blood vessels in Diabetic Macular Edema (swelling of the central retina from diabetes) and in choroidal neovascularization (abnormal blood vessels seen in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration).
Panretinal Laser Photocoagulation for Diabetic Retinopathy
- This laser surgery treatment utilizes a high-energy, focused beam of light to produce a small burn. These burns are performed in areas of sick retina that are no longer functioning due to diabetic damage and prevent further growth of abnormal blood vessels that may bleed and lead to vitreous hemorrhage.
Pneumatic Retinopexy for Retinal Detachment
- This outpatient procedure to repair retinal detachments was first described in 1986 by Dr. George Hilton, the founder of East Bay Retina Consultants, Inc. Utilizing cryotherapy (freezing probe) to seal the torn retina, a small gas bubble is then injected into the vitreous middle cavity to reattach the retina. The gas bubble pushes the retina flat and allows the cryotherapy or laser surgery (performed after the retina is flat) to seal the retinal tear. This typically requires certain head positions to move the gas bubble over the retinal breaks until the gas bubble eventually disappears. The retina heals for approximately 5-7 days and the gas bubble resolves on its own in 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the gas used.
