title: Modern retinal laser therapy.
abstract: Medicinal lasers are a standard source of light to produce retinal tissue photocoagulation to treat retinovascular disease. The Diabetic Retinopathy Study and the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study were large randomized clinical trials that have shown beneficial effect of retinal laser photocoagulation in diabetic retinopathy and have dictated the standard of care for decades. However, current treatment protocols undergo modifications. Types of lasers used in treatment of retinal diseases include argon, diode, dye and multicolor lasers, micropulse lasers and lasers for photodynamic therapy. Delivery systems include contact lens slit-lamp laser delivery, indirect ophthalmocope based laser photocoagulation and camera based navigated retinal photocoagulation with retinal eye-tracking. Selective targeted photocoagulation could be a future alternative to panretinal photocoagulation.
authors.affiliation: King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Vitreoretinal Division, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.affiliation: Private Retina Practice, 3160 Telegraph Road, Suite 230, Ventura, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Luttrull
keywords: Micropulse laser; Navigated laser; Pattern laser; Photocoagulation; Retinal Laser; Therapy