Ophthalmic Surgery Services in Cartersville
Not all surgical procedures require hospitalization. Piedmont Cartersville offers the following ophthalmic services for your outpatient surgical needs.
- Retinal laser treatment
- Cataract removal with intraocular lens implant
Cataract surgery is usually done as an outpatient under local anesthesia. Surgery usually takes less than one hour. Most cataract surgeries involve removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial one.
- Pterygium Removal
If your vision becomes severely blurred, the pterygium may need to be surgically removed. This is commonly done on an outpatient basis. On occasion, a pterygium can return. Steps may be taken during the operation to prevent this from happening.
- Laser Peripheral Iridotomy
Laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) is frequently used to treat narrow-angle glaucoma or to prevent glaucoma attacks in patients with anatomically narrow angles. Narrow-angle glaucoma occurs when the angle between the cornea (the clear structure on the front of the eye) and the iris (the colored part of the eye) is too small. This can cause the iris to plug up so that fluid cannot flow freely. This can cause the pressure to rise to dangerously high levels very quickly. In LPI, the laser will be used to make a small hole in the iris. The hole will allow fluid to flow more freely within the eye.
- Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT)
This is the most common type of laser surgery. It is usually used to treat open-angle glaucoma. During this procedure, you will sit facing the laser machine. The laser "spot" will be applied to a special contact lens held on the front of the eye. You may see flashes of red or green light as the laser is applied. This procedure will allow more fluid to be released and relieve some of the pressure.