Why can’t laser eye surgery cure blindness? Eli5
I’ve been told I’ve got diabetic retinopathy and it’s getting worse. They mentioned potential ‘sudden vision loss’ and I went on a wild internet search and ended up here. Can someone tell me how laser eye surgery can make eyes see perfectly when they usually need glasses for severe vision impairment but can’t do anything for full vision loss? Please. Like I’m five. Thanks!
In: Biology
Your eye has various different parts. The cornea is a clear covering, the lens focuses the light, the iris adjusts how much light comes in and the retina is the cells at the back which have a blood supply and nerves to transmit the light signals to your brain.
Blindness can be caused by issues with any of those. If the lens is misshapen, we can correct it with glasses or by using a laser to reshape it. This changes how the light is focused so you can see more clearly.
Things like cataracts are cloudiness of the lens, and a treatment can remove the cloudy parts so you can see again.
Diabetic retinopathy is a problem with the blood supply to the retina. This damages the cells which receive the light. No tinkering with glasses, the cornea or lens can bring back dead or dying cells at the back of your eye.
There are many conditions that affect the retina, including things like macular degeneration, where the central part of the retina is damaged and can’t receive light signals any more. There is limited treatment for retinal issues.
I had a bleed in my retina on one eye, it caused a separation of the top layer of the cells from the underneath. I now have a large blind spot in the centre of my vision and there is nothing anyone can do about it. I feel your pain and your worry about it. It sucks.
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