A laser is an instrument that produces a pure, high-intensity beam of light energy. The laser light can be focused onto the retina, selectively treating the desired area while leaving the surrounding tissues untouched. The absorbed energy creates a microscopic spot to destroy lesions or weld tissues together. Each of our offices is equipped with the state-of-the-art Iridex OcuLight GL laser.
YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet; Nd:Y3Al5O12) is a crystal that is used as a lasing medium for solid-state lasers. The dopant, triply ionized neodymium, Nd(III), typically replaces a small fraction (1%) of the yttrium ions in the host crystal structure of the yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), since the two ions are of similar size.[1] It is the neodymium ion which provides the lasing activity in the crystal, in the same fashion as red chromium ion in ruby lasers.[1]
The doctors at Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers are specialists in laser surgery—we’ve even written two books about it! Retinal laser surgery is performed as a treatment for a variety of retinal problems including central serous retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, ocular histoplasmosis, retinal arterial macroaneurysms, retinal vein occlusions, and retinal breaks,
Surgeons explore the possibility of femtosecond laser cataract surgery (in which the incision, capsulotomy and nucleus fragmentation are accomplished by the laser), the focus on the details of the surgery’s advantages and pitfalls has become more intense. And as with any surgery, one of the most important details is potential complications.