What Eye Conditions Does PRP Laser Therapy Treat?

More than 40% of people who have diabetes have some degree of diabetic retinopathy, a condition that causes abnormal blood vessels to leak blood and other fluids into your eyes. This can lead to retinal damage and eventual blindness. Fortunately, advances in modern medicine have found new, effective ways to stop these diseases from progressing and stealing your sight.

At Retina Specialists in Dallas, DeSoto, Plano, Mesquite, and Waxahachie, Texas, our team of expert ophthalmologists offers panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) laser therapy to treat various diseases that can damage your retinas. Let’s explore what PRP laser therapy is and what conditions improve with this treatment. 

What is PRP laser therapy?

PRP laser therapy is an innovative treatment that gets rid of and stops the growth of abnormal blood vessels in your eye. We offer two ways of administering PRP -- focal and scatter coagulation -- to address your specific needs. 

Focal coagulation targets the abnormal blood vessels already present in your eyes. The laser treatments heat the abnormal vessels, making them drain, seal, and disappear. 

Scatter coagulation targets a larger area of your retina. It creates tiny lesions that prevent new blood vessels from forming. 

Conditions that improve with PRP laser therapy treatment

Our team incorporates PRP laser therapy into treatment plans for several eye diseases, including retinopathy, macular edema, and glaucoma.

Retinopathy

Retinopathy is a potentially dangerous eye condition that occurs when your blood vessels leak blood and other fluid on your retina, causing scar tissue to form. Retinopathy also causes new abnormal blood vessels to grow in your eyes, increasing the leakage. 

Retinopathy-related scar tissue on your retinas can damage your vision. The extra fluid in your eye can also cause swelling, increase your eye pressure, and cause other problems. 

Macular edema

Your macula is the part of your retina that provides your central vision. It’s critical to reading, driving, and recognizing the people around you. Macular edema occurs when extra fluid accumulates in your macula. It causes blurry vision, and colors look faded. 

Glaucoma

Retinopathy is also a common cause of open-angle glaucoma. As the extra fluid builds up in your eye, it increases your eye pressure and eventually damages your optic nerve. Open-angle glaucoma doesn’t usually cause symptoms in its early stages. Often, the first sign of the disease is vision loss. 

How PRP laser therapy works

We offer PRP laser therapy as an outpatient procedure. When you come to our comfortable offices, we provide eye drops that dilate your pupils and numb your eyes. Then we place eyelid holders over your eyes to keep them open and still during your treatment. 

The laser treatment takes 15-30 minutes and is completely painless. A friend or family member needs to drive you home after your appointment because the pupil dilation and PRP laser therapy make your vision blurry for several hours. 

When you go home, just rest and avoid rubbing your eyes. You should be able to see clearly after a restful night’s sleep.

Here at Retina Specialists, we’re committed to providing innovative treatments to protect your eye health and vision. If you need expert care, give us a call or make an appointment online today for diligent diagnosis and state-of-the-art treatments.