Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) or Micropulse Laser Trabeculoplasty (MLT) is a procedure performed to treat glaucoma and prevent blindness. Ideal for patients who suffer from open-angle glaucoma occurring when the front of the eye remains open, the SLT procedure lowers intraocular pressure.

How does SLT/MLT work?
During SLT/MLT, the eye’s drainage tissue is penetrated by energy from the laser. This causes a biological and chemical change in the drainage tissue. After treatment, fluid drains better than it did before. The new and improved drainage system, however, takes up to three months to kick in.
How do you perform SLT/MLT?
SLT/MLT is performed as a simple in rooms procedure which takes just 5 minutes and should be completely painless. A laser hits the trabecular meshwork, which drains fluid from the eye and stimulates it. Once stimulated, more fluid leaves the eye., though this only begins to show after a couple of weeks to months. Though SLT does not cure all types of glaucoma, the procedure does lower eye pressure and minimises the risk of permanent blindness.
What is retinal laser surgery?
The use of laser technology goes beyond PRK and LASIK surgery to restore vision. Laser procedures today are used to treat a spectrum of retinal conditions like retinal tears, retinal detachment, age-related macular degeneration, vein occlusion, macular oedema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
How do you perform retinal laser surgery?
Argon lasers are typically used to treat retinal conditions such as a retinal tear that occurs when the vitreous gel pulls the retina. Retinal tears are usually caused by previous eye surgery or trauma. During treatment, lasers emit energy to fuse edges of the tear to underlying tissue at the backend of the eye.
Torn blood vessels in the eye that occur due to an advanced stage of diabetes are also sealed by lasers. Abnormal blood vessels that occlude veins that drain old blood from the retina form as a result of advanced diabetes. Poor blood flow deprives retinal cells of oxygen. Argon lasers reach haemoglobin in abnormal cells, causing their molecules to conglomerate and clot the vessel.
Argon laser takes 5min to 20min to perform in rooms. A bright flash of light is expected during laser treatment. Light moves through laser pulses directly in the eye, emitting microscopic burns at the surgical sites. This causes scars to form, shutting off leaking blood vessels.
Floaters obstruct visual fields and affect our daily lifestyle. YAG laser enables us to visualise and target floaters, which are debris from the vitreous gel. The laser beam from YAG emits energy to break up floaters.
“Vision is the true creative rhythm”
- Robert Delaunay