What Is Lasik Eye Surgery
LASIK stands for Laser In-situ Keratomileusis. LASIK Eye Surgery is a type of day care Laser Treatment that is performed to correct the spectacle power. LASIK Surgery is recommended for correcting Nearsightedness(myopia), Farsightedness(Hyperopia) and Astigmatism. In patients with refractive error, i.e spectacle power, the rays of the light entering the eye do not focus precisely on the Retina.
Glasses and contact lenses are hence used to precisely focus the light onto the retina so that that vision improves. However, without using glasses or contact lenses constantly, the patient cannot view the objects clearly. This spectacle dependency can be a hindrance for day to day activities. Persons who lead a very active lifestyle may particularly find wearing spectacles to be bothersome.
Patients may also choose to want to get rid of their glasses for cosmetic purposes and wearing contact lenses for prolonged periods is not recommended. Lasik Eye Surgery is the gold standard method to correct spectacle power for moderate to high refractive powers. It is a flap based laser treatment which takes about 10 minutes per eye. The vision correction after this Laser Eye Treatment is immediate and you can resume most of your routine activities within 3 days of recovery period.
LASIK Eye Treatment usually offers a permanent correction of the power and freedom from glasses. Patients may also want to opt for Contoura Eye Surgery to not only get rid of their glasses but also improve the quality of their vision.
Eye Problems That Can Be Treated With Lasik
Myopia (Short-Sightedness)
Myopia or Short-sightedness is a condition wherein far objects are difficult to visualize. Myopia usually occurs when the rays of light entering our eyes focus in front of our Retina, instead of focusing directly on it. Myopia is one of the most common conditions for which patients undergo Laser Surgery!
Hypermetropia
Hypermetropia or Far-sightedness is a condition wherein far objects are difficult to visualize. It usually occurs when the rays of light entering our eyes focus behind our Retina, instead of focusing directly on it.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a condition which causes distortion of the vision, both for far as well as near. In this condition, all the rays of the light entering the eye at different axes do not converge onto the Retina. Instead one or more rays of light may fall in front or back of the Retina, while the other set of rays may fall on the Retina or in front of it. Astigmatism contributes to the cylindrical power of the eyes, and is usually due to the difference in the shape of the Cornea in one axis as compared to the other. However, even our natural lens of the eye can also cause Astigmatism.
Contoura Vision
Contoura Vision is an advanced type of Laser Eye Surgery.The Human Cornea is not a perfectly smooth and regular structure. All of us have very small microscopic irregularities on the surface of our corneas. These irregularities cause the light falling onto the eyes to scatter slightly and thus reduce the overall quality of vision.
This may manifest as reduced sharpness of objects, reduction of contrast among other vague visual symptoms. When we proceed with any type of Laser Surgery in these eyes, it is advantageous to correct these irregularities as well. Traditional Lasik Surgery does not correct these irregularities and hence patients may continue to experience this loss in visual quality.
Contoura Lasik Surgery is able to correct all these microscopic irregularities resulting in a smoother and perfect cornea. Hence patients are able to experience clearer, sharper and extremely high quality of vision after Contoura Eye Surgery. It is not possible in all Lasik Machines. Only Advanced Laser Machines with the Contoura Eye Surgery algorithm can perform this Eye Treatment. Not only this, mapping the Cornea for Contour Lasik Surgery requires the need of a specialised diagnostic equipment, the topolyser.
The Topolyser measures nearly 22000 points on the Patient's Cornea and directly transfers these parameters into the laser machine. Contoura Lasik Eye Surgery also centres the treatment around the visual axis so as to better the quality of treatment. During the Contoura Eye Surgery, the laser machine treats all these irregularities on your Cornea, along with correcting the Eye Power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Laser Eye Surgery is usually painless, but you may experience a kind of pressure in your eyes during the procedure, but this may be temporary
Laser Eye Surgery takes a maximum of 30 minutes, but in most cases it is done within 10-12 minutes
With modern day Laser Technology, Laser Eye Surgery is extremely safe. Our team of specialists always use the highest safety parameters and keep a high ceiling safety profile before advising Laser correction for all patients.
Laser Eye Surgery is usually not recommended for people where the spectacle power has not stabilised. Laser eye surgery is not done for individuals below 18 years. An Eye with Keratoconus is a strict no-no for undergoing any kind of Eye Surgery. Also, if the corneal profile and thickness are not suitable, your surgeon may defer the procedure or offer any other alternate means of achieving spectacle free vision