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If you are considering surgery, you should always consider the potential benefits of surgery along with the possible risks of and alternatives to surgery. While many retinal surgeries are urgent or emergent, this is not always the case. Ultimately, the decision to operate must be left up to the patient using information provided from many sources. The surgeons and staff at Retina-Vitreous Associates will help provide you with as much information as possible and take time to answer all of your questions. We will also coordinate your care with your primary medical physician when indicated as well as any referring eye care doctor.                       Laser Photocoagulation Laser photocoagulation is a technique employed by retinal surgeons to treat a number of eye conditions, one of which is the exudative (wet) form of MD. In this treatment, laser light rays are directed into the eye focusing on abnormal blood vessels that are growing beneath the retina. This laser, with the heat from a fine-point laser beam, cauterizes the vessels to seal them from further leakage in the hope of preventing further vision loss. It does not restore lost vision, so it is critical that the eye be treated as early as possible in the course of the disease. Photocoagulation is also known as the "hot" laser treatment, because it also destroys surrounding healthy tissue while coagulating the leakage from abnormal vessel growth. Only a small percentage of people meet the requirements for this type of laser, because those with occult (hidden) or subfoveal (center of macula) leakage are usually not candidates. Photocoagulation laser surgery is done on an outpatient basis. Eye drops will be given to dilate the pupil and numb the eye. The treatment is performed while the patient is seated in a chair, similar to the one used for regular eye examinations. The patient remains awake and comfortable, but some may experience mild pain, which can usually be relieved with non-prescription medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol). The laser treatment usually takes less than thirty minutes to complete, and the patient can go home immediately following surgery. It could take several weeks before knowing if laser surgery has been successful, and many patients will need more than one treatment to control their eye condition in order to try preventing further vision loss. It is not a cure, but a temporary treatment designed to postpone deteriorating vision loss.