In the Line of Fire

PRP stands for panretinal photocoagulation. More big words, which this cynic says has the intention of keeping patients dumbfounded and confused.
Basically, the patient who gets PRP surgery has his eye welded with a laser to burn the retina in place.
This can be done in a hospital, a specific surgery office or the back of a retina specialists’ office.
Drops are administered to numb and dilate the eye. Dilation expands the pupil to let in as much light as possible. A magnifying lense is held over the eye to let the doctor see better and to prevent the patient from being able to close the eye. A small laser is fired through the pupil, through the center of the eye, and burns the back of the retina or burns away abnormal blood vessel growth.
Yes, it hurts. Not so much by a single laser strike, but by the constant barrage. Typical sessions fire the laser 400 to 600 times. The patient almost always undergoes more than one session.
The patient sits on the other side of the machine from the doctor. The doctor holds the magnifying lense in the eye. The machine that shot me had a footpress as a firing trigger.
Sometimes the patient can see the laser. Other times he can see reflections of the laser. Sometimes the laser strike cannot be seen, only felt.
I was told that taking pain killers beforehand is allowed. Other sources indicate that only Tylenol should be taken due to bleeding risks caused by aspirin and the others. They don’t help much during the procedure. The pain subsides pretty quickly after the procedure has ended.
An assistant helps with the surgery. The assistant chatters with either the patient or the doctor to distract the patient. Hopefully the assistant does not distract the doctor.
The assistant’s other job is the real one, to hold the patient’s head into the harness to prevent escape movement.