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Detachments / Tears
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Cryopexy
Diabetic Retinopathy
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Proliferative Retinopathy
Fundus Fluorescein Angiography
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What is cryosurgery?

Cryos (Greek means cold). Cryosurgery has now become the standard method of preventing the occurrence of retinal detachment. As you have been advised the prophylactic procedure, we would like to share the following information with you.

Holes or breaks in the retina can cause retinal detachment. These holes can be closed by producing minute scars in carefully selected areas of the retina. Cryosurgery or cry therapy is likened to "welding" the retina back to the wall of the eye. Other such "welding" procedures include diathermy (low intensity electric current) or photocoagulation (heat of strong light source as in argon laser photocoagulation).

Mechanism of cryosurgery effect on living tissue :-

When living tissues are guadually frozen , tiny ice crystals form within and between the cells , these crystals trigger a repair process resulting in the formation of a scar which seals the retinal break (hole).

Cryotherapy may be given under local (drops / injection) anesthesia or general anesthesia as the situation demands. A cold probe is used. There are two ways :

  1. To prevent retinal detachment by closing the retinal holes before they cause detachment. If the retinal hole can be reached easily with the probe local anaesthesia usually suffices. The cryotherapy is done on an out-patient basis. If the retinal hole is too far back and cannot be reached without cutting any tissue, hospitalization for 1-2 days will be necessary.

  2. In confirmed retinal detachments, the cold probe is used often during surgery to create small scars at selected points of the retina. As compared to diathermy (heat treatment) less damage to the sclera ( white of the eye) is caused.

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