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About macular laser treatment
Macular laser treatment uses heat to produce small burns which seal leaky vessels in the macula. The macula is the central part of the retina (at the back of the eye). This improves drainage of fluid so that the retina can gradually dry out.
The goal of laser treatment is to reduce the amount of fluid in the macula. You may need more than 1 session to achieve this.
Our aim is to stabilise your vision and reduce your risk of vision loss. Improvement in vision only happens in a small number of cases.
Why you need laser treatment
There are several conditions that can develop blood vessels leaking fluid in the macula. This can affect your central vision, making it blurred or distorted.
These conditions include:
- diabetes
- retinal vein occlusions
- retinal arterial macroaneurysms (ballooning of blood vessel wall)
- central serous chorioretinopathy (fluid under the retina).
Preparing for treatment
- You can expect to be at the hospital for 2 to 3 hours.
- Take all your normal medicines prior to this treatment.
- You may eat and drink normally, unless a member of our team has advised you not to do so.
- We will give you dilating eye drops to enlarge the pupils of your eyes so that we can see your eye in detail. These drops will blur your vision for 4 to 6 hours.
You will not be able to drive after your appointment so take this into account when planning your visit.
During and after
Laser treatment takes place in the Kingston Hospital outpatient clinic.
We will give you eye drops to widen your pupils and numb your eye. You will sit facing the laser machine and the doctor will place a contact lens on your eye. This will allow the doctor to see into the back of your eye, focus the laser and prevent you from blinking.
During laser treatment , you will see flashes of light. You may feel a stinging sensation, which can be uncomfortable.
The treatment usually takes between 10 and 15 minutes.
Immediately after laser treatment
After laser treatment , your vision will be dim and blurred for a few hours.
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You may want someone to accompany you home after treatment. |
Side effects
Macular laser treatment is generally safe.
Common side effects
- Discomfort during or after the procedure. It is common to feel some discomfort during the procedure. After treatment, you may want to take your usual form of pain relief medicine.
- Transient (temporary) vision loss. You may experience temporary worsening of vision on the day of your laser treatment. This is caused by the bright flashing lights during laser treatment. This usually recovers by the next day.
- Failure of the procedure. If the first laser session does not work, we can give you another session a few months later.
Rare side effects
- Reduced colour vision and blind spots in your central vision. This is rare because we now use more advanced lasers.
- Haemorrhages (bleeding). In less than 1 in 100 cases, a membrane of abnormal blood vessels can develop under the retina (choroidal neovascularization) and leak fluid or bleed. This affects the patient’s central vision. If necessary, we can treat this with intraocular (in the eye) injections. Bleeding can also occur from burst blood vessels.
- Reduced vision. There is a small risk of accidental laser burns to the centre of your vision. This is highly unlikely if you follow the doctor’s instructions during the procedure.
Follow-up
We will arrange a follow-up appointment so we can check that your eye is responding to the treatment.
It usually takes 3 to 4 months for us to assess your full response to laser treatment.
If you need urgent help
Seek urgent help if your vision deteriorates after treatment.
Emergency help, hours of operation and referral system
Kingston Hospital Eye Casualty
Galsworthy Road, KT2 7QB
8.30am to 4.30pm (last appointment at 4pm).
Closed on weekends and bank holidays.
Booked appointments only. Call to book on 020 8934 6799.
Western Eye Hospital Emergency Department
153 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5QH
020 3312 6666.
8am to 8.30pm, every day.
Walk in service, no referral required.
Moorfields Eye Hospital
162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD
020 7566 2345 or 020 7253 3411
24 hours a day, every day.
Walk in service, no referral required.
Moorfields Eye Clinic at St George’s Hospital
Tooting, London SW17 0QT
4.30pm to 8.30pm on weekdays, 24 hours on weekends.
Referral via an emergency GP or booked appointment required.
Call to book on 020 7702 5542.
Contact information
Kingston Hospital Royal Eye Unit