LASER TREATMENT OF EYE DISEASES

LASER TECHNOLOGY FOR EYE DISEASES

FOR TREATMENT OF EYE COMPLICATIONS

·         Reducing the power in glasses.

·         Treating glaucoma and secondary cataract.

·         Cure for diabetic retinopathy – a disorder in which blood vessels in retina may leak.

·         Treating retinal tear – a condition in which the retina peels away from the supporting tissues.

BASIC FACTS ABOUT LASER

·         LASER stands for Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation.

·         Contrary to popular belief, laser surgery is in fact virtually painless.

·         It is a safer method for complex surgical procedures on the eyes.

·         Minimum healing period.

·         Reduced post-surgical discomfort.

·         Precise treatment, without the risk of infection.

·         Like in any surgical procedure, the risks involved need to be evaluated by an eye surgeon before opting for laser surgery.

·         Regular follow-ups are necessary post-surgery.

LASIK PROCEDURE

·         Lasik laser, or corneo-refractive surgery, is an eye operation for correcting problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

·         It is a simple, painless outpatient surgical procedure and a comfortable solution that allows the patient to adapt to a life free from glasses and a clearer vision.

·         The entire vision correction procedure takes less than 15 minutes and patients have recorded improvements in their vision soon after and are able to resume day-to-day activities within 2 days.

·         This particular refractive process is an immediate alternative for those who wish to reduce their dependency on any visual aids like glasses or lenses.

·         After Lasik laser surgery, you can see clearly without glasses or contact lenses even if you don’t have normal vision.

·         It is suitable for people from all walks of life with no age barriers, as it involves no injections or long-term medication and delivers quick results.

CORNEA CORRECTION

1. Routine lasik procedure

·         It is performed with the Excimer laser and an instrument called Microkeratome.

·         The cornea is modified to correct the refractive error of the eye.

·         With the help of the blade, a superficial flap of the cornea is created and ablated with the Excimer laser.

·         The cornea is reshaped in such a way that light rays are then focused better on to the retina to give clearer and sharper vision.

2. Opti-lasik procedure

·         It is a bladeless procedure where the superficial flap of the cornea is created with the Femtosecond laser.

·         Since the flap is created with the laser, all the possible complications with the blade are avoided (like flap tear or an incomplete flap).

·         The procedure is also more precise and accurate as you get the predefined thickness of the flap.

·         You can actually get a thinner flap so that maximum vision correction is possible.

·         The corneal integrity is also maintained to a larger extent (as it is a separate tissue) and the flap adhesions are hence accurate.

·         Lasik requires blade while the opti-lasik is a Femto procedure and requires recalibrated cones which are the consumables and thus increases the cost of the procedure.

·         But looking at the safety of the opti-lasik procedure, it is always advisable to spend some more money and get better results.

ADVANCEMENT

·         Lasik laser is today considered the procedure of choice for correcting shortsightedness (myopia) up to -10 or -12D, and longsightedness (hypermetropia) up to +4 or +5D.

·         Of late, there are also advanced procedures like customized Lasik and Epi-lasik.

·         The surgeon’s skill, experience, and quality of care before and after a corrective eye surgery are critical factors affecting the final outcome of the surgery.

·         There is very little post-operative pain and no bandages or stitches are required

·         Recovery of vision is fast.

PRECAUTIONS AND COMPLICATIONS

·         The patient should be above 20 years of age and the power of his spectacles or contact lenses must not have changed for at least a year.

·         His cornea should be healthy with a thickness of at least 450 mm.

·         The patient should stop wearing lenses at least 3 weeks before the surgery.

·         Like any surgical procedure, there is the risk of unforeseen complications like intra-operative corneal flap amputation, wrinkling of the flap when repositing the flap, over-correction or under-correction of vision.

·         Some patients may have dry eye, halos, double vision, glare and floaters.