For retinal laser treatment, we will dilate your eyes with mydriatic drops. It is an out patient procedure done in sitting position using a slit lamp microscope and green laser light. Topical anesthetic drops will be used to anesthetize your eye. The patient positions his/her head on the slit lamp microscope and a hand held contact lens is placed on the cornea using a lubricating jelly to focus the laser light on the retina. Laser burns are applied around the lattices/holes to demarcate the lesions form the rest of the retina.
The procedure is usually painless; however some patients may appreciate some discomfort/pain after the laser procedure, which responds well to non-steroidal analgesic (pain killing) agents. Dilatation of the eye results in blurring of near vision, which gets restored within 3-4 hours as the effect of the medication.
After the laser procedure, you need to usually wait for 10-14 days for the laser scar to heal and strengthen. Once the healing is complete, you can undergo Lasik surgery for your eyes.