FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Our experts encounter a wide range of medical retina conditions on a daily basis. These conditions include diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degenerations (AMD), Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy (PCV), central serous chorioretinopathy (CSR), retinopathy of prematurity, and other less frequent disorders too. These conditions require accurate assessments prior to the commencement of treatment in order to achieve the best possible treatment results. Our vitreoretinal diagnostic tools range from less-invasive ones such as ultrasonography and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) , to the more invasive Fluorescein angiography (FFA) and Indocyanine Green Angiography (ICGA). To date, KMN EyeCare is the only eye center in Indonesia that provides Indocyanine Green Angiography.

Another treatment in the field of medical retina is the intravitreal injection of medicine directly into the vitreous cavity located in the center of the eye. We also offer laser photocoagulations, either using conventional laser photocoagulation or photodynamic therapy (PDT, or “Cold Laser”) using verteporfin (Visudyne®). Like Indocyanine Green Angiography, KMN EyeCare is the only clinic throughout Indonesia to offer PDT. We also deal with a great number of cases of subretinal bleeding, which often results from a late stage Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy (PCV, a type of macular degeneration common to Asians). This is treated with intravitreal injections of a combination of a drug to liquify the blood and a gas to shift the blood from underneath the central part of the retina, known as the macula.

The combination of our experienced experts and state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic tools allows KMN EyeCare to provide high-quality medical retinal treatment to our patients throughout Indonesia. 

There was a time where the only available treatment for certain macular conditions, such as wet age related macular degeneration (wet AMD), retinal neovascularization due to vascular disorders, and diabetic macular edema, was laser photocoagulation. Lasers were applied to these patients in order to prevent their vision from further deterioration. Those lasers did not, however, offer improvement of vision.

It was not until the introduction of drugs known as anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (anti VEGF), that one could improve their vision in such treatment cases. These agents are injected directly into the vitreous cavity in the center of the eye according to predetermined intervals so as to halt disease progression and even reverse the pathology of the retina. Thus, this method yields better results both structurally and functionally. There are three anti VEGF agents that are widely used in the present time: aflibercept (Eylea), ranibizumab (Patizra), and bevacizumab (Avastin). At KMN EyeCare, the injection process of the drugs are done in a sterile environment in our operating theater.

Considering the importance of these agents as first line treatments of many retinal conditions, it is our priority at KMN EyeCare to ensure that they are available at any given time in any of our hospitals or clinics. Furthermore, we offer a very competitive rate for these injections to ensure the accessibility of the medicine for anyone in need of such treatment.

Our highly-experienced vitreoretinal surgeons perform vitreoretinal surgery both in elective and emergency settings on a daily basis. These surgeries include vitrectomy, scleral buckling, as well as a combination of both. Unlike other eye centers that still routinely perform surgeries under general anaesthesia, almost all of our surgeries are done under local anaesthesia, which is intraoperatively safer for our patients and fosters an earlier recovery as well.

In addition to common surgical retinal conditions such as retinal detachments, we also perform surgeries for more complex retinal cases. These include conditions stemming from accidents or trauma including intraocular foreign body extractions; surgeries for macular puckers/epiretinal membrane and macular holes; retinopathy of prematurity; and tractional retinal detachments due to diabetic retinopathy or other proliferative processes. Furthermore, while several of our patients come directly to KMN EyeCare for retina treatment, we also perform a great number of surgeries on referral cases that have been sent to us by other eye care providers and centers nationwide.

Aside from their clinical activities with KMN EyeCare, our surgeons are also well-acknowledged as vitreoretinal lecturers and trainers both throughout Indonesia and abroad.

Optos is the latest addition to KMN EyeCare’s technology in the field of retina. KMN EyeCare is the first center in Indonesia to utilize the OPTOS. The OPTOS is a diagnostic photographic tool for the retina that can produce 200 degree images of the retina in a single shot, which is called an “optomap.” This ability to capture such wide images is crucial to detecting retinal pathologies in the periphery, such as retinal tears or holes, tumors, or areas of insufficient blood perfusions that can be caused by diabetic retinopathy or other vascular diseases. Occasionally, these abnormalities appear in the periphery before spreading centrally to the back of the eye. Thus, being able to detect the disease at its early stages, while it is still in the periphery, is beneficial to both doctors and patients in the management of the patient’s eyes. This early detection reduces the potential cost of treatment while preserving the patient’s sight.

Heidelberg Spectralis® is a multidiagnostic eye care equipment that can perform three simultaneous tasks, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Fluorescein Angiography (FA) and Indocyanine Green Angiography (ICGA), thus significantly reducing the time needed to undergo these treatments. Another advantage of Heidelberg Spectralis® is that it is able to produce a “real time” video imaging of the initial angiographies, which is key in identifying subtle abnormalities of the retina that may otherwise be overlooked with procedures that only capture images rather than videos.

Heidelberg Spectralis® also allows clinicians to compare the conditions of specific parts of the retina from different examination time points. This is highly important in long-term retinal disorders, such as age-related macular degenerations, to determine whether an ongoing treatment is still working or if another treatment is needed. This greatly enhances the end result of retinal disease treatments.

Assessing an infant’s retina can be challenging, as young children are often unable to hold still in front of conventional imaging equipment. Nonetheless, there are a number of retinal conditions specific to infants that require serial retinal examinations, such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The Retcam Natus Envision is an imaging tool that eases the diagnostic process of such situations, as the device is hand-held by the physician and thus can be applied from any position. It enables clinicians to monitor the retinal condition of premature babies so that ROP can be identified as early as possible. The window of opportunity to treat ROP is very narrow and delayed treatment could cause infants to suffer permanent vision loss. As such, the Retcam Natus Envision plays a vital role in identifying such conditions.

Aside from producing color photographs and videos of an infant’s eye, Retcam Natus Envision can also do Fluorescein Angiography (FA) that records the vascularization of the entire retina.  KMN EyeCare is the first health institution in Indonesia to use the RetCam and is the only institution to conduct RetCam FA in Indonesia. 

The main cause of cataract is the degenerative aging process. Additional causes of cataract include trauma/accidents, eye inflammations, congenital abnormalities, and other less frequent conditions.

Cataract symptoms that usually convince patients to seek help include decreased visual acuity, cloudy or blurry vision, reduced color vision and brightness, difficulties in night driving, and a frequent change in glasses prescription. In its worse condition, cataracts can lead to a total loss of vision (blindness). Using the most up-to-date cataract surgery equipment, KMN EyeCare offers cataract surgery even at the earliest stage of cataract development so as to fully restore patient vision.

With the advanced technology of phacoemulsification, you can have cataract surgery as soon as you notice any disturbances on the quality of your vision due to cataracts.