# Anyone ever have a laser iridotomy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709 "2021-02-11T21:32:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/1 "2021-02-11T21:32:55Z")
I saw my opthalmologist today and he said that I’d need this procedure within six months to a year. The space between my iris and cornea is getting squished by an enlarging lens, and it’s closing off the ducts which drain the space. They fix it by punching a hole in the iris with a laser. It doesn’t sound very onerous. I don’t think they even use an anaesthetic. Has anyone else had this done? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/2 "2021-02-12T04:59:43Z")
FWIW, my uncle (63 y/o) just had it done in both eyes – a few days apart – just a couple weeks ago. Said the discomfort was naught-to-mild and the ophthalmologist deemed the outcome to be 100%. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/3 "2021-02-12T14:41:22Z")
I’ve never had that procedure, but a few years after my wife’s cataract surgery the back of the lens capsule got a little cloudy and they just lasered a hole to remove the cloudy spot. No anesthesia that I recall being mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/4 "2021-02-12T14:44:53Z")
IANAD. That was quite likely a yag capsulotomy: > **[What Is a Posterior Capsulotomy?](https://www.aao.org/eye-health/treatments/what-is-posterior-capsulotomy)** > > Posterior capsulotomy is laser surgery you might need sometime after cataract surgery. The laser treats posterior capsule opacification, which is also sometimes called "secondary cataract" or "scar ti Incidentally, Yag Capsulotomy was one of the Ukrainian judges assigned to the Burisma corruption scandal [/s] ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/5 "2021-02-12T21:24:04Z")
I had both eyes done app 30 years ago to treat acute angle closure glaucoma. Unfortunately it didn’t work so had to have surgical iridectomies a few weeks later. And if my memory serves me, it bloody HURT. But that was a long time ago…techniques have obviously improved since then. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/6 "2021-02-15T16:51:07Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’ve never had that procedure, but a few years after my wife’s cataract surgery the back of the lens capsule got a little cloudy and they just lasered a hole to remove the cloudy spot. No anesthesia that I recall being mentioned. I have had both lenses replaced after cataract surgeries, and have also had the exact procedure **GaryM** describes done to my right eye. It was completely painless. Will have to have it done to the left eye sometime soon after the pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-ever-have-a-laser-iridotomy/932709/7 "2021-05-18T19:49:56Z")
Reviving this old thread. When I saw the ophthalmologist back in February, I wasn’t seeing my regular doctor. My regular doctor, who is a bit elderly, was out of the office as a precaution because of COVID-19, so I saw his younger partner back then. Today was the follow-up appointment with my regular older doctor, and younger partner in February had said this surgery would be discussed today by my regular doctor. But my regular doctor said that no surgery was necessary, and that he was sure his partner wouldn’t have said anything like I reported. He says that I may need this surgery someday or other, but I might just as easily never need it. He’ll just keep an eye on it. So I’ve been worrying about nothing for the last three months. I’m a bit pissed off.