How is laser surgery performed?
Laser surgery for macular degeneration is an office procedure, performed under local anesthesia. The patient is sat in a comfortable chair opposite the laser machine. The eye is anesthetized with eye drops. A special contact lens covered with a thick gel is placed over the surface of the eye. Laser beam is directed through the contact lens to the retina and the CNV. The laser beam consists of about 100 bright flashes of light, each lasting between one tenth to one half of a second. The laser surgery normally takes between 5 to 10 minutes in total. Although laser treatment is not usually painful, the patient may experience some burning sensation at the back of the eye. The patient can leave the office once the treatment is done, but will need someone else to drive home. The vision may be more blurry than usual because of the dilated pupils, bright flashes of light, and the gel that was used for placing the laser lens. These effects may last for a few hours. The eye may also hurt a littl
