The latest state-of-the-art equipment is required to give the safest, most reliable and consistent results from investigation and treatment of eye and vision problems. The following are examples of some of the technology this practice invests in.
Used in diagnosing corneal conditions such as keratoconus and dry eye but is also used pre-cataract surgery to ensure there are no corneal diseases present that could compromise the success of surgery.
These are used to screen for glaucoma and to follow up the disease in people receiving treatment, which helps determine if treatment is successful. As glaucoma is a life long disease, these tests need to be performed periodically to ensure the disease is not progressing.
To detect abnormalities in the blood circulation of structures in the eye including the retina, choroid, optic disc and occasionally in the iris. Conditions in which fluorescein angiography may be used include diabetes, macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusions as well as many other diseases.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) uses broad wavelengths of light ranging from 515nm to 1200nm to target specific pigments on the skin. IPL applied to the skin helps ease the symptoms and signs of blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye disease. IPL warms the dermis to temperatures up to 43º C. By a process known as photomodulation, IPL can stimulate cells and glands to function normally and this may be the mechanism through which meibomian gland function can be improved.
Laser photocoagulation uses a laser to shrink, heat or destroy tissues in the eye, or to intentionally cause scarring. Photocoagulation takes place by using the laser to create a microscopic burn in the target tissue.
Some examples of how laser photocoagulation is used are shown in the videos below:
Neodymium:YAG lasers are used in the eye to cause photodisruption. This form of minimally invasive surgery causes tissue to form plasma, which then causes acoustic (or sound) shock waves. The shock waves are used to affect eye tissue like the iris or capsule of the eye lens. The tissue ruptures as a result of the vapor bubble produced by the laser; the temperature required to produce this effect is between 100 and 305 °C. Some examples of YAG laser use are shown below:
This is a type of YAG laser that is directed at floaters in the jelly-like substance in the centre of the eye that cause shadows to float in your vision. Floaters are permanent - they never dissolve or disappear although your perception of them can decrease over time. However, they tend to reappear at odd, sometimes inconvenient, times. Vitreolysis laser or Laser Floater Treatment removes floaters permanently.
This is a type of gentle laser used on the drainage system of the eye. The laser is so mild, very little if any damage is done to tissues. The change the laser causes results in increased drainage of fluid from the eye and reduced pressure which is a benefit in glaucoma. The benefit is greater, is more consistent and lasts longer than the benefit seen with eye drops.
A new form of treatment, 2RT is a gentle and noninvasive laser treatment that can safely reverse the early signs of macular degeneration (AMD) and can treat vision threatening macular swelling in diabetes (CSME) without causing damage to surrounding retinal cells. It has been shown to preserve and even improve vision and may reduce or even eliminate the need for eye injections often required in these eye conditions.
This video shows how, with age, AMD starts with the build up of cell waste underneath the retina forming yellow-white spots known as drusen. The new 2RT laser targets individual cells in the layer of the retina above the drusen causing sister cells, next to the targeted cells, to produce new daughter cells. The new cells are more efficient at removing the cell waste and result in a decrease in the amount, extent and area covered by drusen. In the longer term, in selected patients without more severe signs of retinal disease, 2RT laser has been shown to reduce progression to the late stages of AMD, when eye injections may be needed. For more information about 2RT click the button below:
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner