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| UNIVERSITY OPHTHALMOLOGY CONSULTANTS |
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WHAT
IS CRYOTHERAPY?
Retinal
cryotherapy uses intense
cold to induce a chorioretinal
scar and
to destroy retinal and/or choroidal tissue. Cryotherapy
involves apposing a metal probe against the eye. The
tip of the probe is then cooled as a result of the rapid
expansion of gases within the probe tip. The formation
of water crystals followed by rapid thawing results
in cellular disruption. Tissue destruction is followed
by a healing response and scar tissue formation. Usually,
retinal cryotherapy
is administered under local anesthesia.
Retinal cryopexy
(retinal cryotherapy) is used to treat retinal breaks;
to destroy areas of ischemic retinal tissue; and to
induce regression of retinal neovascularization (particularly
if the surgeon feels that laser
photocoagulation treatment cannot be administered);
to directly destroy abnormal retinal blood vessels that
are causing visual loss (for example, in Coats' disease);
and to destroy small intraocular tumors (for example,
selected retinoblastoma tumors).
| WHAT IS CRYOTHERAPY? | ||
|
Retinal cryotherapy uses intense cold to induce a chorioretinal scar and to destroy retinal and/or choroidal tissue. Cryotherapy involves apposing a metal probe against the eye. The tip of the probe is then cooled as a result of the rapid expansion of gases within the probe tip. The formation of water crystals followed by rapid thawing results in cellular disruption. Tissue destruction is followed by a healing response and scar tissue formation. Usually, retinal cryotherapy is administered under local anesthesia. Retinal cryopexy (retinal cryotherapy) is used to treat retinal breaks; to destroy areas of ischemic retinal tissue; and to induce regression of retinal neovascularization (particularly if the surgeon feels that laser photocoagulation treatment cannot be administered); to directly destroy abnormal retinal blood vessels that are causing visual loss (for example, in Coats' disease); and to destroy small intraocular tumors (for example, selected retinoblastoma tumors).
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