Contact Laser Applications in Ophthalmology

Abstract

It is not by chance that light energy has been utilized therapeutically in ophthalmology for over four decades. The human eye has evolved into a complex sense organ that can convert minimal amounts of light into a chemical reaction to begin the visual process. Its anatomic structure is designed to focus light energy onto the photoreceptor cells of the retina and adjacent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The intensity of light reaching these structures is critically controlled by the lids and pupil. Too much light focused on the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can cause damage resulting in a chorioretinal scar. Clinically, light-induced chorioretinal lesions can be seen in patients after an eclipse of the sun,¹ arc welding,² and during exposure to microscope light source during cataract surgery.³