Laser Technology to Diagnose Glaucoma

Fayetteville’s McDonald Eye Associates on North Hills Boulevard and The Eye Center on Millsap Road both recently acquired a new laser technology that helps diagnose glaucoma in its earliest stages.

Generally in medicine, early detection translates into early treatment and mitigated costs. But the exact financial impact of the laser technology is hard to quantify because it’s so new.

The GDx Nerve Analyzer, a capital investment of more than $70,000 for the firms, works by using polarized light to pass through the nerve fiber layer and measure more than 65,000 points on the tissue. The measurements are processed by a computer that maps the nerve fibers and compares those fibers to a database of healthy, glaucoma-free patients.

Thin tissue indicates glaucoma. The GDx analyzer is more affective than a traditional “air puff” test because many glaucoma sufferers’ symptoms are masked. At $70 per eye exam, the GDx is believed to eliminate the possibility of a missed diagnosis.

Dr. James McDonald, owner of McDonald Eye Associates, said his practice is already conducting 10 to 25 exams a week using the laser. Other institutions using the technology include Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University and the universities of Louisville and Washington.

According to studies by the ACES, about 50 percent of glaucoma patients are unaware they have the disease.