Retinal Micropulse Laser Treatment

Navilas micropulse laser treatment is an effective method for treating subretinal fluid accumulation in CSCR retinal disease.

Retinal laser treatment is a key pillar in managing ophthalmic complications of diabetes and venous circulatory disorders. Mild to moderate macular edema can be effectively treated without retinal tissue destruction using micropulse laser with the safe, eye-tracking-equipped Navilas laser device.

Micropulse laser treatment of cystoid macular edema (CMO) caused by diabetic retinopathy or venous circulatory disorders is a suitable solution either as monotherapy or as an adjunct to injection therapy to reduce the number of injections required.

For which conditions is retinal laser treatment recommended?

We most commonly use the Navilas laser in the following cases:

• diabetic cystoid macular edema (CMO)*
• central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR)*
• macular edema caused by branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO)*
• to halt neovascularization due to diabetic retinopathy or venous occlusion (PRP treatment)
• targeted treatment of leaking macular microaneurysms in diabetic maculopathy (focal laser treatment)
• treatment of peripheral retinal tears to prevent retinal detachment

* in micropulse mode

Why choose the Navilas laser for retinal laser treatment?

The Navilas laser device can be used in two operating modes. It is capable of treatment comparable to conventional laser devices, such as for retinal tears, but achieves this in a gentler, less sensitive manner. The innovation, however, is its tissue-sparing mode, also called micropulse or soft laser, which—unlike conventional methods—allows us to safely perform treatments even at the site of central vision.

A. Tissue-Sparing Micropulse Laser Mode

The modern, tissue-sparing method of retinal treatment is micropulse laser therapy, which achieves the desired biological effect without tissue damage; for this reason, it is also called subthreshold or soft laser treatment.

During retinal application, conventional lasers result in the destruction of photoreceptor cells and cause scar formation. Moreover, the resulting scar continues to expand over time. For these reasons, this type of treatment is currently to be avoided at the site of central vision.

In contrast, the new-generation tissue-sparing micropulse laser does not cause heat-induced tissue damage in the effective range, does not lead to retinal scarring, and thus treatment can be performed across the entire affected area without tissue destruction.

The aforementioned advantages are particularly important when treatment occurs in the area of the retina responsible for central vision, such as when treating macular edema or subretinal fluid accumulation.

B. Conventional Laser Mode

In addition to micropulse mode, the device is also capable of treatment in a mode equivalent to conventional laser therapy. Compared to conventional laser, it offers the following advantages:

• due to lower treatment parameters (one-fifth!), pain sensation is reduced during panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) or treatment of peripheral retinal tears;
• thanks to treatment templates, the procedure is much faster;
• the wide-field live image ensures safer treatment;
• thanks to the eye-tracking system, macular microaneurysms causing fluid leakage can be treated with few spots, precisely and reliably.

How does the Navilas retinal laser differ from other devices?

Precision and reliability. Thanks to its eye-tracking system, the laser beam always acts exactly where it was directed. Treatment is automatically interrupted immediately if the treatment plan is not visible (e.g., during blinking or if the patient looks away).

Speed. Thanks to the pre-prepared treatment plan, laser spots can be placed virtually continuously during the actual treatment. Unlike other micropulse or conventional devices, there is no need to stop regularly and reassess the process, thereby significantly shortening the treatment time.

Comfort. The non-contact mode, the speed afforded by the treatment plan, reduced pain due to lower treatment parameters, and lower photosensitivity when using infrared light together make the procedure significantly more comfortable for the patient.

Digital documentation and external device integration. The device automatically saves every detail of the treatment. Pre- and post-treatment images of the retina, the treatment plan, and the applied parameter settings are all included in the treatment report. Thanks to the ability to import images from external devices (OCT, FA), treatment can be further personalized and precision further enhanced.