Ever since the laser was used for the treatment of eye disease there have been great strides in both its development and the ways in which it is used.

To most people TV laser eye treatment means improving eyesight and not having to wear spectacles again. However, this is only one small aspect – there are many uses nowadays including corneal transplant.

At a recent meeting, one leading ophthalmologist, Dr. Donald D’Amico said that laser therapy allows doctors to precisely fit new corneas into the space left after the removal of diseased or injured corneas.

Dr. D’Amico said: “So there’s no astigmatism at all when we put the fresh cornea into the old one.

“Imagine cutting at that level. The cornea is only half a millimetre thick and yet we can make side cuts and edge cuts, et cetera.”

One of the major uses for laser eye treatment is the removal of cataracts. However, other treatments are now being developed that may be more effective, and less invasive. Laser treatments effectively cut the cataract away. But a more recent development uses sound waves to basically dissolve the cataract. Dr. D’Amico added: “We go across the cornea and we open the front of the lens capsule, then we shell out the inside, scoop out the nucleus and all of the lens material, and then when we have it nice and clean, we have a bag. We have a capsule.”

Laser and other eye treatments are being developed for a range of diseases including dry eye – a common problem for the elderly. Drops containing anti-inflammatory agents are also used to help treat this condition.