Laser: Its Clinical Uses in Eye Disease

Abstract

This book is a practical text on the use of the argon laser and the xenon arc photocoagulator in ophthalmic disease. The first four chapters cover the principles of photocoagulation, the pretreatment evaluation of the patient's condition and preparation of the patient for laser therapy, and the complications and limitations of laser treatment. In chapters 5 through 9, the authors outline their treatment techniques for various ocular diseases including diabetic macular edema, diabetic proliferative retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, central serous retinopathy, subretinal neovascular membranes, retinal tears, and angle-closure glaucoma. The final chapter describes exercises designed to introduce the novice to the use of the laser. Some of the treatment techniques in the book could be questioned. For instance, the authors recommend that eyes with diabetic proliferative retinopathy be given 3,000 500-μm argon laser spots during four to six treatment sessions. The eyes of patients in the Diabetic Retinopathy Study, however,