What type of laser is used for that procedure?
Dr. Rick Wilson: First, let me explain that PIs are usually performed if the angle is narrow and the iris is being pushed forward by the pressure of aqueous fluid behind it. Making a hole in the iris equalizes the pressure behind and in front of the iris, so the iris settles back against the lens and away from the drain (trabecular meshwork) in the angle. [Editor’s note: The Microruptor Nd: YAG laser is now manufactured by Meridian.] P: Is Nd:YAG an acronym? Dr. Rick Wilson: Yes: Neodymium (Nd), yitrium (Y), aluminum (A), and garnet (G). Some lasers, such as the YAG crystal, use a solid medium for lasing; others, like argon, use gas. When a uniform medium is used, the wavelength of the light is all the same, as opposed to the white light surrounding us that consists of all colors. The lasing medium allows energy to be put into it (Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation = Laser). The light gathers energy, until it is let out of the crystal as a parallel, collimated
