Lasers in ophthalmology: past, present and future

In no area of medicine has the laser been more successful as a treatment modality than in the specialty of ophthalmology. This article presents an overview of the history of laser applications including photocoagulation, photodisruption and photoablation, with reference to systems in whose development the present author was involved. Lasers used in ophthalmology use wavelengths from the near infrared to the ultraviolet and pulse durations that are measured in femtoseconds to seconds. The primary ophthalmic laser treatments are for diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, secondary cataracts and, most recently, laser vision correction.