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Healthy ocular tissue has long been jeopardized by conventional laser surgery with continuous wave photocoagulation. While this traditional laser treatment offered hopes of preventing greater vision loss, the sacrificial scars induced at the time of treatment also expanded over time risking progressive vision loss over the years. Consequently, conventional laser technology was eclipsed by anti-VEGF medications introduced in the early 2000s to target abnormal vascular leakage and neovascularization via intraocular injections.
The advent of innovative microsecond pulsed laser treatment, however, has proven to be a major renovation in vision restoration and protective therapy. With this modern microsecond technique, short pulses of laser stimulate and rejuvenate ocular tissue, without inducing structural or functional damage, thus elevating subthreshold laser technology to an essential treatment option for ocular disease.
SP-Mode® is LIGHTMED’s advanced sub-threshold microsecond laser technology that aids in the treatment of various retinal and glaucoma diseases without inducing pain or causing visible laser burns. Unlike traditional laser treatments, microsecond laser cycles on and off very quickly to limit the accumulation of heat and avoid thermal damage while still rendering a cumulative protective treatment effect.
SP-Mode® Microsecond Laser Technology avoids cell necrosis, apoptosis, formation of bubble with micro-explosions and hyperthermia of the eye.
- Eliminate laser-induced thermal tissue damage and treatment side effects
- Deliver a broader range of treatment modalities
- Treat disorders at a much earlier stage
- Provide repeat treatment in retinal and glaucoma applications
SP-Mode® for Glaucoma
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) has been the first line of treatment for patients with glaucoma for many years. Some physicians have termed early intervention with laser, “interventional glaucoma,” which has helped prevent blindness in those who would otherwise not adhere to rigorous topical therapy.
The LiGHT Study compared SLT to eye drops as the primary treatment for lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in open-angle glaucoma. The study concluded that SLT provides a better health-related quality of life, overall reduced cost savings, and results in superior IOP stability with fewer required drops for IOP maintenance.
Doctors are now also able to offer another form of glaucoma laser treatment utilizing advanced sub-threshold SP-Mode® Laser Trabeculoplasty (SPLT) with comparable results to SLT. The energy for SPLT is fractioned into energy pulses, interspersed with resting intervals without tissue propagation. This laser delivery modality allows for controlled delivery of energy without coagulative necrosis of tissue or scarring.
Why SPLT is superior to traditional Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT) when both treatment options offer significant IOP reduction?
SPLT is safer with no IOP spikes
- No need for post anti-inflammatory drops due to the gentler SP-Mode® procedure
- One size fitsall – there is no need to change parameters for different levels of pigmentation since there’s no thermal damage or concern for IOP spikes
Why choose SPLT over topical therapy?
- Laser is superior to eye drops in terms of patient compliance
- Favorable health economics
- Repeatable with no damage to tissue
In conclusion, SP-Mode® sub-threshold laser is a major innovation that has allowed physicians to provide exceptional care to patients in a gentle and cost-effective manner, with outstanding clinical efficacy. Microsecond pulsed laser technology is an essential component in the modern treatment of potentially blinding ocular disease. Future applications of sub-threshold laser technology hold great promise for the prevention and treatment of such entities as degenerative drusen and age-related macular degeneration. Given the potential expansion of clinical applications on the horizon, sub-threshold pulsed technology is well-positioned to further revolutionize ocular laser therapy.
SP-Mode® Microsecond Laser Technology is standard in any configuration of the following LIGHTMED lasers systems:
- LIGHTLas 532
- LIGHTLas 577
- LIGHTLas 810
- TruScan Pro (532, 561 or 577, 670, and 810 wavelengths)
- LIGHTLas YAG-V + LIGHTLas 532
- LIGHTLas YAG-V + LIGHTLas 577
- LIGHTLas YAG-V + LIGHTLas 810
- LIGHTLas SLT Deux-V + LIGHTLas 532
- LIGHTLas SLT Deux-V + LIGHTLas 577
- LIGHTLas SLT Deux-V + LIGHTLas 810
- LIGHTLas SLT + LIGHTLas 532
- LIGHTLas SLT + LIGHTLas 577
- LIGHTLas SLT + LIGHTLas 810
“The advantage to having the LIGHTLas 532 with SP-Mode combined with the SLT Deux-V is that you can do so much more with it. The optics are so superior on the LIGHTMED machine. With the gonio lens everything is clear especially when finding the trabecular meshwork. Essentially you have one machine that fits all offices, offering three different approaches to glaucoma: SLT, SPLT, YAG PI, and you can also treat the retina with SP-mode laser.” —Nir Shoham-Hazon, MD
