Laser Eye Surgery


What is LASIK?

Excimer laser (LASIK) treatment is the latest & most common type of refractive surgery. It islasik designed to change the shape of the cornea to eliminate or reduce the need for spectacles or contact lenses.
Patients are able to enjoy life and perform activities with less dependency on contact lenses or spectacles. The treatment has been proven to be safe, effective and convenient.
Laser eye surgery is effective in correcting shortsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

 

The procedure

The Excimer laser system used is the WaveLight Ex500, integrating many functions for fast, safe and reliable refractive treatments. The eye is anaesthetized with drops and gently held open with a lid speculum. An automated (microkeratome) is used to create a flap ¼ of the thickness of the cornea. When this done your vision will darken for 5 seconds and a mild pressure sensation is felt. The flap is lifted and the laser starts on the underlying surface. Patients are to focus on a light while the laser vaporizes microscopic layers of tissue. The flap is then closed and sealed without the need for stitches. The entire procedure takes about 20 to 30 minutes, while the laser time is often less than 20 seconds. The technique is quick and painless.

Recovery

Vision usually stabilizes few months after surgery. Patients ± 40 years or older will still require reading spectacles. If adequate visual correction is not achieved with the first procedure, a second procedure can usually be performed in the first year to provide additional correction. If required, this second procedure is not charged for in the first year of the initial surgery.

Risk & Side effects

During the healing process most people can expect to experience some of the following side effects:

Dry eyes

Increase light sensitivity

Halo’s around lights at night

Decreased clarity in poor light

Possible Infection

These side effects decrease with time.  Serious complications are extremely rare.

Possible candidates are:

At least 18 years of age

Shortsightedness or astigmatism within the correctable range

Free of eye disease

Not pregnant