Dr Anupam Chatterjee National Eye Center Dublin

Author: Jeff Flow

Laser Eye Surgery is a medical procedure consisting of the use of laser for reshaping the surface of the cornea. It is used to improve myopia (shortsightedness), hypermetropia (long sightedness) or astigmatism. The first information on laser eye surgery dates back from over twenty years ago.

During laser eye surgery, an excimer controlled by a computer is used to remove tiny amounts of corneal tissue. The aim of the procedure is to restore normal vision, relieving the patient from wearing glasses or contacts.

In one type of laser eye surgery, the outer layer of the cornea, also called epithelium, is removed and an excimer laser is used to reshape underneath tissue. This procedure is called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

In a newer procedure, a microkeratome is used to cut a flap in the corneal tissue, which is then lifted and an excimer laser is used to reshape underlying tissue. In the end, the flap is put back to its place. This type of laser eye surgery is called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Nowadays, it is more commonly used than PRK.

Information on Laser Eye Surgery Procedure

The excimer laser is a special type of laser that does not burn the corneal tissue, but vaporizes a small quantity of the cornea each time a beam is pulsed onto the eye surface. The number of pulses and diameter of the beam are carefully controlled by a computer to enhance accuracy.

Local anesthetic eye drops are used before the surgery. The procedure takes a few minutes per eye. The actual time when the laser is used for reshaping the corneal tissue is generally less than a minute.

Various eye conditions require different types of treatment: l Myopia - the central peak of the cornea has to be flattened in order to reduce short-sightedness and improve vision. l Hypermetropia - the central peak of the cornea has to be made steeper in order to improve vision. The laser is applied to the edges of the cornea. l Astigmatism - this is a condition where the cornea is not evenly curved. The laser is applied more linear to improve vision.

Information on Laser Eye Surgery - Post Surgery

After laser eye surgery, you should expect some minor discomfort. However, you should be able to see, although not very clearly. You won’t be able to drive on your own, so you need to have someone drive you home or take a cab.

Information on Laser Eye Surgery Possible Side Effects

Just like any operation, laser eye surgery involves a few risks as well. You should have some information on laser eye surgery and its possible complications and side effects before deciding you want to have this type of surgery. l Treatment not successful - this may be the result of either under treatment and over treatment. You may need another surgery to enhance vision. l Dry eyes - you might have to use eye drops. l Delayed healing - the flap or the outer layer of the cornea might not heal properly and require follow-up treatment. l Infection - in case of an infection, you may need to follow an antibiotic treatment. l Superficial scarring - a second procedure might be needed to repair scarred tissue. l Excessive thinning of the cornea - vision problems may return and you might need to use contacts or have another surgery. l Sensitive eyes - some patients experience excessive sensitivity to glare, which makes driving more difficult. l Blurred vision - ‘halos’ might result from the surgical procedure, but usually they fade out over time.

Before deciding on a certain type of laser eye surgery, you should consult a doctor to examine your eye condition thoroughly, provide you with information on laser eye surgery risks and benefits and give you some advice on which procedure is best for your specific problems.

Author: Michael Russell

LASIK surgery is correcting people’s vision every day with very little complications. The common myth behind LASIK is the effects of the surgery. Many believe that after LASIK they will be free of glasses forever. This is just not the case unfortunately. Having the correct expectations of LASIK will help you not only decide if you want the operation done but also prevent any disappointments in the future.

The first thing to expect if you want this operation is going through the pre-screening process. You can even take the pre-screening questionnaire online to see if there is any chance that you would not qualify. This will prevent someone who is not a good candidate from undergoing the surgery and potentially having more serious complications than normal. Not everyone qualifies for LASIK, however, there still could be an alternative solution.

If you do qualify, understand how LASIK can benefit you before having the operation. LASIK does not ‘cure’ your vision for the rest of your life; it will however decrease your dependency on corrective lenses. How long the effects last is different for everyone. Many go on without glasses for many decades and other start wearing them again after ten or fifteen years. Since LASIK has only been around for that long, most people today are not wearing glasses but in ten more years, they could be.

Some expect immediate results after the operation. After surgery, many will not have clear vision for at least several hours. Normal recovery is several days before you head back to work or start driving again. While your eyes are healing, expect to go back and forth between clear and blurry vision for several weeks. Everyone’s recovery is different, some go back to work the next day and others wait much longer depending on any complications. Do not expect fast results, you could have to return to get a slight adjustment.

Repeat treatment may be necessary, depending on how your eyes heal and the results after surgery. Some need to have an adjustment or re-treatment. Since LASIK costs a few thousand dollars, check to see if the office where you are having the surgery done offers free re-treatments. Most places offer it for a certain amount of time, somewhere between six months and five years. This could save you a lot of money depending on where you go.

Vision results differ between patients as well. The legal driving vision is 20/40 and 95% of all LASIK procedures produce better than 20/40 results. Most people experience between 20/30 and 20/10 vision. If you have less than seven diopters of myopia, you will have close to a 99% chance of better than legal driving vision. Of course, everyone’s eye deteriorates over time and you can expect these numbers to get worse but if your eyesight before LASIK was 20/1500, there is an obvious difference.