What is panretinal laser?
Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is a form of treatment used for vascular eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy as well as retinal vein occlusions. These conditions are characterized by the breakdown of tiny vessels in the eye which leads to subsequent leakage of blood/ fluid in various parts of the retina. When the vessels burst and are damaged, this deprives the peripheral parts of the retina of proper blood flow leading to ischemia (hypoxia and cellular death). In response to this, your own body will attempt to compensate with the production of new vessels in the areas experiencing retinal ischemia. Unfortunately, this makes things worse because the new vessels are fragile and rupture easily leading to more fluid buildup in different parts of the eye and also possible blood vessel growth of iris (i.e. neovascular glaucoma). PRP laser works by purposely scarring areas of the retina with severe ischemia so that new abnormal vessels will not grow.
What to expect?
Before the procedure begins, the ophthalmologist needs to determine which areas are leaking near in the retina. It is common for the doctor to conduct a fluorescein angiography, which reveals the specific location of damaged blood vessels and retinal ischemia. Your eye will be dilated to ensure that the view to the retina is optimal for treatment. Following confirmation that the patient is a candidate for PRP laser, the patient’s chair will be adjusted into a comfortable reclining position. Our laser technician will then place a topical anesthetic on the surface of the eye. Next, the doctor will apply the laser treatment. The procedure itself takes 1-5 minutes. The patient will experience haziness and colored vision for up to 10 minutes following the procedure, after which the vision will return to pre-treatment level although dilation will last approximately 4 hours. There is no patch or post-procedure care such as eye drops required following PRP laser although sometimes a slight headache can be possible following heavier laser treatments; that usually lasts several minutes and Tylenol may be required.