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<bold>Sejal Shah, MD,</bold> can be reached at Manahattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, Retina Specialists, PC, 20 W. 13th St., New York, NY 10011; email: <email xlink:type="simple">[email protected].
<bold>Seenu M. Hariprasad, MD,</bold> can be reached at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC2114, Chicago, IL 60637; email: <email xlink:type="simple">[email protected].
<bold>Disclosures:</bold> Dr. Shah has no relevant financial disclosures. Dr. Hariprasad is a consultant for Alcon, Allergan, Bayer, OD-OS, Optos, Clearside Biomedical, Ocular Therapeutix, Janssen, Leica, Spark, and Regeneron.
Seenu M. Hariprasad, Practical Retina Co-Editor
Sejal Shah
Incorporating current trials and technology into clinical practice
For this Practical Retina column, Sejal Shah, MD, from New York City was asked to comment on the current use of micropulse retina lasers to treat macular diseases.
For more than half a century, laser technology has evolved to become an essential tool in treating a variety of vitreoretinal diseases. The evolution of retina lasers since the 1940s is fascinating. After observing the effects of a solar eclipse on patients' retinas, Gerhard Meyer-Schwickerath investigated the use of natural sunlight to treat retinal disease in 1949 (Sun Coagulator). Unfortunately, the technique was limited by weather conditions, the lengthy exposure time required, and the constantly changing angle of the sun. To address these shortcomings, Meyer-Schwickerath developed a carbon arc lamp as a more reliable artificial light source. Although considered an advance, the unpredictable retinal burns limited its usefulness. In the 1950s, Carl Zeiss and Meyer-Schwickerath developed the xenon arc lamp, which was a generational leap forward due to its high uniform power output. The Ruby laser in 1960 launched the modern laser era, providing clinicians with a range of wavelengths and pulse durations allowing precise treatments. The coming 40 years saw development of argon lasers, allowing flexibility of treating retinas with either slit lamp or indirect ophthalmoscope delivery. Solid-state lasers were a major advance that reduced cost and size of laser units. Most recently, the NAVILAS laser, integrating imaging, planning, and treatment into one compact platform, was ground-breaking, as was the PASCAL Pattern laser.
In this article, Dr. Shah will share her vast expertise in using micropulse subthreshold lasers to treat a variety of macular diseases. She will review current thinking and appropriate indications. Furthermore, she...