KPH gets laser eye treatment machine
PATIENTS AFFECTED by the eye conditions glaucoma and cataract will now have improved access to corrective surgeries at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).
This is through the donation of a state-of-the art laser machine to the facility by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ (LDS) global charities.
Valued at US$70,000, the machine provides Selecta Duet Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) and yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) ophthalmic laser treatment for medical conditions within the anterior segment of the eye.
This includes glaucoma, a condition where increased pressure within the eyeball causes gradual loss of sight; and cataract, which occurs when the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision.
The machine is to be installed shortly.
Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at KPH, Dr. Angela Mattis, explained that the machine offers YAG and SLT photo disruption capabilities in one unit.
SLT is a type of laser surgery used to help lower intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients, while YAG lasers can be used in both glaucoma and cataract surgeries.
“It is a combo. It is a YAG, which is a special type of laser that disrupts the membrane so it becomes crystal clear again. The SLT is the actual mechanism that treats the glaucoma. It helps drain the fluid from the eye and lowers the pressure, which damages the eye nerves. It does two treatments,” she pointed out.