Ophthalmology

Historically, ophthalmology was the first medical field where lasers have found an application. Over more than five decades, use of lasers in ophthalmology has successfully shown effective and safe results in treating various eye conditions. Whether lasers are used to correct vision or repair damage due to degenerative diseases dictates optimal laser type, wavelength, and pulse length.

Refractive Eye Surgery
Since the introduction of lasers in refractive eye surgery, technology has continually evolved to refine the technique and minimize the risk of damage to the retina and optic nerve. Femtosecond lasers are used in conjunction with other technology in LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) procedures to correct myopia (nearsightedness).  New alternatives utilize femtosecond-only lasers to create lamellar flaps necessary for the procedure. Alternatively, an approach used to correct hyperopia (farsightedness) and some forms of astigmatism is called Laser Thermal Keratoplasty. Here, a Ho:YAG laser is used to heat the cornea tissue, which contracts the collagen and reshapes the cornea in a controlled manner.

Cataract Treatment
Cataracts, or clouding of the eye's natural lens, are the most common cause of vision loss in the elderly population. Accordingly, cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the world, Treatment involves removal of the lens for a prosthetic replacement. Lasers have recently been developed as a means to remove the lens via photodisruption. Femtosecond lasers are used in the treatment of cataracts and take advantage of the extremely high peak power densities to efficiently disrupt tissue with minimal surrounding thermal damage.

Retinal (Micro) Coagulation
Diabetic macular edema is the most common cause of visual loss in persons under 50 years of age in the developed world. Retinal photocoagulation has been developed and recognized as a standard of treatment. Recently, the procedure was perfected due to introduction of micro-coagulation technique employing pulsed diode lasers.