How to Treat Retinal Eye Disease

Retinal eye disease is a disorder that affects the retina in the eye. Some cases are more common and easier to treat than others. There are several forms of treatment that can slow the progression of the disease or stop it completely.

• Laser Photocoagulation: This treatment is used to repair a tear or hole in the retinal of the eye. It involves a surgeon using a high-energy laser to burn pinpoints on the retina. This treatment does not require an incision and is normally done as an outpatient procedure. 


• Panretinal Photocoagulation: This treatment is also referred to as Scatter Photocoagulation and is performed by a surgeon who uses a laser to treat the disease. The laser is used to shrink abnormal new blood cells in the eye that are bleeding into the vitreous. This type of treatment usually requires two or more sessions to complete.


• Cryopexy: This type of treatment is used to treat tears in the retinal. This procedure is usually used when the tear is difficult to reach with a laser. The treatment involves the surgeon using intense cold to freeze the area located around the tear by applying a freezing probe to the outside surface of the eye. It is an out patient procedure and it does require a local anesthetic.


• Seleral Buckling: This is one of the most common surgeries for retinal disease. The eye is first treated with Cryopexy. The surgeon then sews a tiny synthetic band made of spongy silicone to the white part of the eye. The pressure of the band will promote healing and helps to prevent further separation. This procedure is normally done in an operating room.