Cryopexy

introduction

What is Cryopexy?

Cryopexy is a treatment that uses intense cold therapy or freezing to treat certain retinal conditions

 

What are the retinal diseases which can be treated with cryotherapy?

Retinal tears to prevent retinal detachment, to seal leaking blood vessels, to slow or stop the growth of abnormal blood vessels caused by diabetic retinopathy

How does cryopexy help in treating retinal disorders?

 This treatment creates a scar around retinal tears, around the abnormal blood vessels in order to stop the progression of the abnormal growth.

What are the precautions to be taken before the procedure?

It is an outpatient procedure. There are no special preparations for this procedure. You should eat normally and take all your regular medicines before you come in for the procedure

How is cryotherapy performed?

Cryopexy is administered with local anaesthesia to prevent pain. During the process, your ophthalmologist will use an indirect ophthalmoscope to view the inside of your eye through the pupil while gently pushing on the outside of the eye with the small metal probe to find the exact place for treatment. Once the appropriate treatment location is found, your doctor will activate the probe to deliver the freezing gas, which rapidly freezes the targeted tissue. As the tissue heals, it forms a scar.

FAQ

Is cryotherapy a painful procedure?

The cryotherapy treatment or cryo treatment is not painful as the patient gets anaesthesia near the eye via an injection. This numbs the area near the eye to make the procedure smooth. Some people also receive topical anaesthesia to reduce the pain of receiving an injection as the skin near the eye is highly sensitive. 

Cryotherapy or retinal cryopexy helps preserve the vision by keeping it attached to its supposed place. Generally recommended when the retina is detached, eye damage, overgrown blood vessels, retinoblastoma, and in case of advanced glaucoma. Some of the best cryotherapy benefits are that it is a painless and minimally invasive procedure that puts zero risk to healthy tissues. 

The cryo surgery will freeze your retina where the tear has occurred due to an accident. However, the process may be futile if the procedure is not done on time. 

Since the area is sensitive after cryotherapy, you should avoid using soap, lotions, eye makeup, or aggressively rubbing that area until it is healed properly. You should also avoid any strenuous activity to strain the eye as it may affect the natural healing process. 

A skilled ophthalmologist is eligible to perform cryo surgery. Connect with a renowned eye hospital and consult an experienced cryotherapy surgeon. Since it’s related to the eye, you need to be extra careful before choosing your doctor. It’s best to get in touch with an experienced doctor as they will complete the process painlessly and with zero risks. 

In laser therapy, bright laser light enters the eye via a contact lens and creates small burns in the tearing area. Whereas when it comes to cryotherapy, an extremely cold probe is applied to the outer area of the eye to freeze the damage and heal accordingly. 

To know which one you should opt for, you need to consult your cryo specialist and analyze all the aspects of your medical concern. After a thorough analysis, the specialist will suggest a treatment process that is more effective for your condition.

Both the surgeries are painless and are highly effective. However, your ophthalmologist should be the one deciding which process is best suited. 

There is no particular set of medical tests to go through before the cryo surgery. The tests will depend on your current diagnosis and medical condition. 

Other than these, you may have to go through some other tests recommended by your ophthalmologist. Even though the cryo surgery is not extremely complex and can be completed in under 10-15 minutes, all the precautions are necessary to ensure that there are zero complexities during the process for both the doctor and the patient.

After the cryo surgery, some people experience minor discomfort, such as headaches. This happens because of sudden exposure to extremely cold temperatures in many cases. If you face any such issue, it will be best to connect with your doctor and ask for a prescription to receive instant relief.

Redness or puffiness is quite normal after the cryo surgery as the skin is exposed to extreme cold. It might take 10 or 14 days for the swelling to go away on its own. 

However, if the swelling, redness or puffiness remains even after a few days, it is advised to connect with your doctor and get the operated eye checked. Though these cases are extremely rare and may only happen if you do not take proper care of your eye after the cryo surgery, it is imperative to be extremely cautious and follow the instructions given by your doctor. 

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