Friday 26 / April / 2024
Lasik, commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
What is Laser Eye Surgery?
While laser eye surgery is the term most people use, I personally prefer to call it ‘refractive surgery’ because that includes so many more possibilities for different types of patients. Laser eye surgeries include the initial method where the cornea is not cut to make a flap but instead the surface of the cornea is scraped (PRK), or a small blade being used to cut a flap (LASIK), or the latest femtosecond methods where a laser is used to create a flap (Z LASIK). All these procedures have the same aim: to expose and re-shape your cornea (the clear, outermost part of your eye) and help you get rid of your glasses. If we use the term ‘refractive surgery’ however, we can also include other ways to help you get rid of glasses (near and distance) with the options of KAMRA presbyopia inlay — it is a safe, proven and lasting solution to correct presbyopia and restore your everyday near vision, ICL (implantable contact lens) and Toric ICL, multifocal IOL, trifocal IOL, and Crystalens accommodating IOL can be used for patients for whom the traditional laser methods are unsuitable or who are reaching the presbyopic age and cataract surgery may be looming — my other surgical passion. Finland Eye Centre offer all these solutions and more.
Who is a Good Candidate?
Basically, almost anyone over the age of 18 with healthy eyes wishing to get rid of their glasses is likely to be eligible for some type of refractive surgery. The tough part is making sure of patient selection, trust and rapport between patient and surgeon, careful examination and planning, and patient awareness. Matching the right patient to the right method is essential. At least I can speak on behalf of myself and my surgeons that patients should rest assured that their surgeon will plan each patient’s treatment as an individual, customised decision, keeping in mind not only the medical facts but also taking into account the patient’s lifestyle, personality, finances, and expectations. It should be noted that even eyes with certain conditions (such as keratoconus, retinal degenerations, glaucoma, and diabetes) may be eligible for refractive surgery once their other conditions are under control. In fact, keratoconus patients (or those with otherwise suspicious or irregular corneas) have a full range of options especially for them.
What are the Benefits?
Whatever your reason is to get rid of glasses — sportive lifestyle, dreams of joining the army or police, chef’s with foggy glasses, having to change between near, distance, and computer glasses, or simply hating to wake up and first put on your glasses or contact lenses — you can enjoy life without the need to wear glasses or lenses all the time. And if you are the fashion-conscious type, there is no reason you cannot continue to wear statement glasses or coloured contact lenses for the fun of it.
What are the Risks?
As with any surgery, risks and complications are possible. With careful planning, uneventful surgery, meticulous post-operative care (by the surgeon and the patient), most patients are extremely happy basically from the moment they get up from the operating bed. In some cases, at times even due to reasons unknown, complications can arise. As long as the patient is aware that there is no such thing as a 100% guarantee or risk-free surgery, complications can be managed with time, treatment or re-operation (enhancement or another type of procedure) if needed. Most importantly, patients need to trust that their surgeon will take care of them as well as possible and that the advice given needs to be taken seriously, from the recommended surgery to post-operative drops to follow-up visits. —[email protected]
— Dr Liisa Laakso is medical director and consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Finland Eye Centre. Contact +968 2456 4488.
