Laser Surgery

Laser Treatment is performed for many retinal diseases including: Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal tears or holes, Retinal Vein Occlusions, and other retinal pathology.
Laser treatment is performed in the office and usually takes 5-20 minutes. Generally there are no restrictions after laser treatment. However, we do recommend that a friend or relative drive you home.

Most patients do not need an eye patch after laser treatment . However, if you do need special eye numbing for laser surgery, we’ll place an eye patch on after the surgery which can be removed after six hours. When you remove the patch at home expect the vision to be somewhat blurry in the eye that had the treatment. You may also experience double vision for one or two days.

What to expect after laser surgery:

Discomfort
Most patients have little if any pain following retinal laser surgery. However, some patients may experience an ache inside the eye or around the eye if the treatment is extensive. If you are having discomfort, then you might want to rest and take Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

Blurred vision
It is common to have blurred vision in the operated eye after retinal laser surgery. Patients who receive laser treatment for diabetic macular edema may experience small spots in their vision due to the laser burns. In most cases, these spots fade and become less annoying over a period of several weeks.

Dilated pupil
It is common for the pupil to remain dilated for 1-3 days following laser treatment due to the dilating drops used prior to surgery.

***If you are experiencing decreasing vision or increasing pain, then please call our office.***