Therapeutic and diagnostic application of lasers in ophthalmology

The authors provide an overview of the present status of clinical and research applications for lasers in ophthalmology. They discuss therapeutic applications of lasers according to photothermal, photodisruptive, and photochemical mechanisms of laser-tissue interaction. Current diagnostic applications of lasers in ophthalmology are also reviewed. It is noted that lasers are in ubiquitous clinical use for many therapeutic and diagnostic purposes and their application has become the standard of care in the treatment of many eye diseases including diabetic retinopathy, vascular disease, glaucoma, and the treatment of capsular opacification following cataract surgery. Many new laser applications are under investigation, including refractive surgery, removal of cataracts, vitrea-retinal surgery, and diagnostic studies.<
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