PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is an increasingly popular laser eye surgery procedure to correct refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia and astigmatism. By reshaping the cornea to achieve refractive accuracy, PRK reshapes corneal surfaces to correct refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia and astigmatism.

During this procedure, a doctor uses a specific laser to create a thin flap in the cornea, covering it with an eye bandage to promote healing.

What is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration (MD) is the breakdown of the macula, a small area located within your retina – light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye that sends signals directly to your brain – that allows for sharp vision of fine details and straight ahead. MD is one of the leading causes of blindness among older adults and makes daily activities such as threading a needle, driving a car, reading difficult or impossible. It is one of the leading causes of blindness among seniors as it disrupts central vision causing difficulties such as threading needles, driving cars or reading words with difficulty or difficulty or inability.

Macular degeneration may be hereditary or caused by age-related decline, although age itself is usually the culprit. While family history of the condition increases your risk, regular dilated eye exams for people over 45 may help detect changes early and reduce macular degeneration risk altogether.

Dry macular degeneration occurs when yellow protein deposits, called drusen, build up underneath the macula and cause it to thin and dry out over time, causing vision loss in varying degrees. Common symptoms include blurry or wavy vision; loss of detail and an unexpected blind spot appearing in your visual field.

Wet macular degeneration is less frequent but more severe. Here, abnormal blood vessels form under the retina and begin leaking fluid or blood into the macula, leading to scarring of its surface and rapidly diminishing vision. This form of macular degeneration typically develops faster and is typically more severe.

Treatment for wet macular degeneration usually combines medications and laser surgery in order to stop bleeding or leaks from happening. Your doctor may administer injections of vascular endothelial growth factor which reduces abnormal blood vessel formation while slowing leakage, while laser therapy involves placing a suction ring over your eye followed by using a series of lasers on the retina to treat.

Photocoagulation laser surgery can also be performed to reduce future leakage and bleeding, and an air or gas bubble may be placed into your eye to hold it steady as your retina reattaches with its backside. After this procedure it is advised to rest well for at least 24 hours since your eye could become vulnerable for several days afterward.

What Causes Macular Degeneration?

The macula is the central part of your retina that enables you to see fine details clearly, such as letters on a sign or your lover’s face. Additionally, it enables reading, driving, working on computers or smartphones, recognising faces and colors, performing many other tasks and more. Macular degeneration can result in blurriness or dark areas in your central vision, making daily activities such as driving more difficult or impossible. It is the leading cause of blindness among adults over 60 and involves light-sensitive tissue that focuses on the retina forming maculae which focus light back onto it. Macular degeneration (AMD) is the progressive breakdown of tissue that impairs both near and distant vision, and is the most prevalent eye condition among adults. There are two forms: dry and wet macular degeneration; with dry macular degeneration often preceded by deposits known as drusen beneath the retina forming deposits below it called “drusen,” while wet AMD develops when abnormal blood vessels form beneath retina which cause bleeding or fluid leakage into vision loss; leaving this untreated can result in permanent vision loss affecting near and far vision resulting in vision impairment of both near vision if left untreated compared to dry AMD which usually forms.

Macular degeneration can be avoided or at least mitigated with proper nutrition, exercise and regular eye exams. Early diagnosis can stop macular degeneration from progressing further and help you find effective treatments to slow or stop vision loss.

If your retinal hole or tear is linked with wet macular degeneration, an eye doctor can use pneumatic retinopexy (laser treatment of holes or tears in retina) to close it before it worsens. This procedure takes place in your health care provider’s office and typically uses laser technology; alternatively, gas bubbles could also be placed inside your eye to float up against it and push back into position before slowly dissolving over time as your eye’s own fluid takes its place.

At present, researchers are developing anti-angiogenic medications to inhibit abnormal retinal blood vessel growth. Macugen is the first approved such anti-angiogenic drug and more are currently in clinical trials.

What Are the Risks of Macular Degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can damage your central vision, leaving it less clear for reading, driving and recognising faces. It is a leading cause of blindness among people aged 50 or above. Early stages of AMD usually progress slowly with some patients never losing complete sight entirely – while progression could eventually result in loss of central vision in one or both eyes.

Under dry ARMD, patients typically experience blurry central vision and yellow deposits known as drusen under their retina, indicating what stage the disease has reached. Individuals living with dry ARMD can slow its progress by eating healthily with plenty of leafy vegetables and fruit, exercising regularly, and scheduling routine eye exams.

If ARMD progresses into its wet form, it can quickly lead to loss of vision. A person affected with wet ARMD might notice straight lines seem wavy or crooked before developing large blind spots in their central vision – with this form, vision loss often occurring more rapidly than with dry forms; untreated wet ARMD patients could become legally blind within weeks or months.

Laser eye surgery can be used to treat certain forms of macular degeneration. The surgery entails targeting the retina with a beam of light to produce scar tissue that sticks the retina back against its wall of the eye, as well as treating any tears or breaks in it that form through laser treatment; this may prevent future bleeding and repair holes or tears in it.

After surgery, it is common to have a lens-like bandage placed over one eye and for vision to become somewhat unclear while healing takes place. At this time, it is crucial that no contact be made between eye or bandage and skin, and to refrain from rubbing them or taking off bandages. For optimal recovery of eyes after surgery it is recommended that someone drive you home afterward with adequate rest and no alcohol intake (i.e. someone should drive). Also recommended by physicians is following any aftercare advice such as not rubbing it or taking prescription medications according to doctor’s advice such as avoiding contact or taking prescribed medication exactly when instructed by your physician.

Can Laser Eye Surgery Fix Macular Degeneration?

Laser technology has allowed us to treat a range of eye issues. Now it is possible for people to get 20/20 vision with PRK and other laser eye surgery procedures; however, this should not be seen as a panacea; rather it primarily addresses refractive errors such as myopia (shortsightedness) or hyperopia (longsightedness) and astigmatism.

If you are suffering from one or more of the conditions above and feel you qualify for laser eye surgery, the first step should be consulting with a doctor about all of your options. He or she can give all necessary information and determine if laser eye surgery is the appropriate solution.

Laser eye surgery is extremely safe, performed on an outpatient basis and administered with mild sedatives and local anaesthetic drops to ensure any discomfort during the procedure is reduced or nonexistent. Once laser surgery has started, your surgeon will use a device to hold open your eye while using it along with target lights to keep both of your eyes focused on their intended goal.

At the outset of this process, your surgeon will use an excimer laser to reshape your corneal surface. This procedure involves extracting small amounts of tissue so as to better accommodate light entering through your corneal surface. As this happens, you may hear clicking noises or detect an acidic scent; nevertheless, the entire procedure should be painless.

After surgery, you will be asked to rest for several days and follow your doctor’s post-operative instructions. This could involve taking over-the-counter painkillers or wearing bandage contact lenses; generally speaking, the goal should be to reduce eye strain as much as possible. You should also schedule regular checkups with your surgeon so they can ensure proper healing is taking place.

Laser eye surgery may help treat age-related macular degeneration in some instances. The process focuses on the health of your macula, improving your ability to see fine details such as letters, faces, and colors more clearly. Furthermore, for wet macular degeneration sufferers it may reduce fluid leakage or block abnormal blood vessel growth on your retina and thus stop further vision loss.