Lasik and Refractive procedures

WHAT IS REFRACTIVE SURGERY OR LASER VISION CORRECTION?

If the eyeball is longer or shorter than normal or the shape of the cornea is deviant from normal, a person needs to wear glasses or contact lenses to help focus the light on the eye camera film (retina). We can’t change the length of the eyeball, but we can surely remove glasses by working on the cornea or on the lens. The process by which the shape of the cornea is remodelled so that you don’t need glasses anymore is called REFRACTIVE SURGERY or LASER VISION CORRECTION. Laser vision correction procedures are highly effective, and most patients no longer need contacts or eyeglasses for distance vision.

Dr. Amruta is highly experienced in helping patients to eliminate or reduce their need for the contacts and eyeglasses they use for near-sightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT SURGERY OPTIONS FOR LASER VISION CORRECTION?

LASIK

LASIK utilises the excimer cool-beam laser to vaporise a small amount of corneal tissue beneath the surface of the cornea to reshape the cornea. LASIK is an acronym for Laser-Assisted in-Situ Keratomileusis.

To perform LASIK, the surgeon uses an instrument called a microkeratome to create and fold back a thin layer of cornea. The creation of this flap takes about 30 seconds and the only sensation the patient feels is pressure and an occasional pinching of the eyelid.

PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy)

It is a form of laser eye surgery used to precisely alter the shape of the cornea by removing a small number of cells from the outer layer using an excimer laser. PRK surgery is extremely effective and can greatly improve your vision without cutting a corneal flap as is done with the LASIK procedure

Femtosecond Lasik / Blade free Lasik

Newer flap making method utilises the femtosecond laser (Intralase) to create a flap. The laser can create a flap in less than a minute at a precise depth. However, it is still a procedure that as it involves creating a flap, it has a similar profile of risks and benefits as LASIK.

Laser Correction Profiles

Advanced computer technology, including wavefront technology, is used to adjust the laser for your particular prescription. You will be asked to look at a green blinking target light for a short time. The wavelight®ex500 excimer laser is equipped with a special tracking device that helps to center the laser in the proper position over your eye and follows your eye even if it moves.

ADVANTAGES OF LASER VISION CORRECTION

The laser light pulses will then painlessly remove the tissue. The thin flap of corneal tissue is folded back into its original position where it bonds after several minutes of drying.

You DO NOT need an eye operation. It’s a “Stitchless” procedure. The entire procedure takes just 10 or 15 minutes. No Injection, only a numbing anaesthetic eye drop. Visual recovery is rapid, and patients report very little postoperative discomfort or pain which usually dissipates in a few hours. The return of vision is rapid, and 80 to 90% of the visual recovery may be present by the next day.

ARE YOU A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR REFRACTIVE SURGERY ?

Refractive Surgery is a great option for you if you are …..

AGE – ≥ 18 years, since the refraction of people younger than 18 usually continues to change
REFRACTIVE ERROR – should be more than 0.5 Dioptres
Eye prescription must be STABLE in the previous year
Normal clinical examination and normal pre-requisite corneal scans
Should not be pregnant or nursing as these conditions might change the measured refraction of the eye
You need to have REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS