LASIK (Laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis)
is a refractive surgical procedure that results in rapid
recovery of vision and has the capability to benefit patients
with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
by reducing dependence on eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Wave front Guided Lasik (Customized Lasik or C-Lasik)
is fast emerging as a better tool to restore the quality
of vision. The surgical procedure is similar in both the
procedures and the common questions presented below are
relevant to both. |
 |
| How
does the wave front guided Lasik (C-lasik) work? |
 It
is now known that sphere and cylinder are not the only
vision disorders or aberrations in an optical system
of a human eye. There is a second category of optical
defects, called higher-order aberrations, that represent
residual irregularities in the optical structure of
the eye. Higher-order aberrations affect the quality
of vision, The aberrometer which measures all the optical
imperfection on a human eye.
These higher order aberrations along
with the usual sphere and cylinder aberrations can now
be measured and documented with the help of a special
machine called an aberrometer using the wave front technology.There
are several machines available in the market to measure
these aberrations eg. Zyoptics( Bausch & Lomb) &
OPD Scan( Nidek).Out of the machines available OPD Scan
from Nidek appears to be the best machine till date.At
our centre this is the machine that is being used.
Sophisticated software then converts
the map into the clinical ablation profile prescription.
The prescription is transferred electronically to the
computer controlling the laser . The computer calculates
the shot pattern (i.e., where and how the laser will
operate on the cornea) required for the correction of
both the patient's lower and higher order aberrations.
These laser machines are the latest generation machines
with special laser delivery systems capable of handling
such corrections.
Data map of optical imperfection in a human eye accessed
by wave front technology which is then corrected by
the laser. |
| How
is C - lasik betters than simple lasik laser ? |
Lasik laser can correct the vision
to normal (6/6 without glasses) in the absence of any
other eye pathology. With C - Lasik, it is now possible
in some cases to find a quality of vision, which in
all be even better than what is achievable with simple
Lasik laser. |
| What are the minimum requirments
? |
| The person should be at least 18 years of age and should
not have a significant increase in the prescribed power
of spectacles in the past one year. Pregnant Women may
not be suitable candidates. |
| How is Lasik Laser Performed
? |
The surgeon uses a microkeratome to
create the flap. The flap is then positioned to one
side of the corneal "bed" as the Excimer laser
beam (left) is applied.
The laser ablation is completed and the flap is replaced.
Once The flap is returned to preoperative position,
the surgeon carefully checks and rechecks the flap to
be certain it is secure and well-positioned.
Lasik involves extensive computer analysis of the eye.
Patient is then asked to come on the scheduled day for
the laser treatment. Local anaesthetic eye drops are
instilled in the eye to achieve a pain free procedure.
The patient is now made to lie under the laser machine
and asked to fix his gaze at a red light. The data of
the patient is fed into the computer memory of the laser.
A special machine called the microkeratome is used to
pick up a thin corneal flap of 160 microns (equivalent
to an onion skin). Laser is delivered to the cornea
under this flap to correct the spectacle number. It
takes 20 to 60 seconds to complete the laser delivery
to one eye. The corneal flap is placed back in position
where it holds strongly within two minutes due to its
natural bonding properties. The entire procedure takes
about 10 minutes. |
| Does the Procedure Hurt
? |
The laser procedure itself does not hurt.
A slight pressure may be felt during the procedure.
There is a possibility of some degree of discomfort
after the procedure for 3 to 4 hours which is easily
controlled by medication. |
| What to Except After Lasik
Surgery ? |
Your eye or eyes (if both
are treated) will likely be quite blurry immediately
after your LASIK surgery. Do not be alarmed. This is
natural and expected. You will likely awaken the next
morning after your LASIK surgery with much improved
vision. Your vision should also improve over the first
two to three weeks following surgery. |
| Will I be totally free
from spectacles ? |
95% of the people will
be totally free from their spectacles. 5% will have
mild variation from their zero targeted correction due
to varying healing patterns in different individuals,
but will have their dependency reduced on spectacles.
With a little more lasering without any extra fee, an
attempt may be made after 6 months to correct these
individuals further. |
| Are the results achieved
from Lasik permanent ? |
The effects of lasik on
the cornea are permanent. Sometimes, internal changes
within an eye may come with age and these may have some
effect on the overall visual status. For example, a
high myopia may progress even after the age of 18 years,
or a person may require reading glasses after the age
of forty like any normal individual |
| When can I return to work
? |
| The results are often dramatic and very rapid, with
most patients seeing well enough to drive a car without
correction the very next day. However, the best post-operative
visual acuity may not be obtained until 2 to 3 weeks,
or in some cases, even a few months, after the procedure. |
| How safe is this procedure
? |
| Lasik is a very safe procedure but like any other surgical
procedure it can have some complications which are extremely
rare if a proper screening check is done prior to the
procedure. This includes measuring the corneal thickness
with an ultrasound, mapping the corneal topography and
a retina check. Nobody in our surgical experience has
ever lost sight due to this procedure. |
| What is the worst possible
complication ? |
| Infection is a serious complication and could lead to
deterioration of the vision. Infection is usually rare
and can be well controlled with medications with little
or no loss of quality of vision. At our centre, we have
had no case of infection till date. |
| How would the eye behave
after 10 to 20 years ? |
The medical community can
only speak of the future by accessing the data from
the surgeries performed within the last ten years. The
data reveals a very positive healing response of the
eye giving doctors no reason to be concerned about effects
beyond ten years. |
| Can both eyes be done
the same day ? |
| Yes, in most of the cases. However one eye
may be done at a time by choice |
| How long will
I be on medications ? |
Generally speaking a patient
is on eye drops for 3 to 6 weeks. This is dependant
of the level of correction attempted and the individual
healing response. |
| Have any doctors
had Lasik correction themselves ? |
| Yes, many in India as well in several other
countries. This also includes several eye specialists. |
| If I am over
50 years, will the surgery will work for me ? |
| Each of your eyes has two lenses - the cornea
( the general focusing lens ) and the inside lens ( the
fine focusing lens ). Laser surgery works effectively
to correct the general focusing lens, no matter what your
age. However, the inside fine focusing lens of your eye
hardens and no longer provides clear reading vision after
the age of 45 years. So, even after laser surgery, you
would need reading glasses after 45 years of age. However,
laser surgery will give you clear vision for all distance
activities without spectacles. |
| COST |
|
To make the procedure more affordable, we have been able to bring down the cost
of all the procedures as listed below:-
Lasik: Rs.20000/- for both eyes
C-lasik: Rs.25,000/- for both eyes
Thin Flap Lasik: Rs.35,000/- for both eyes
I- Lasik: Rs.90,000/- for both eyes
If you still have some queries, please feel
free to contact us. |
| Schedule
Your Lasik - contact
us |
