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Is it painful?
There is little if
any discomfort during surgery because the cornea and eye
are anesthetized by drops. Some patients experience a
"scratchy feeling." After the anaesthetic wears off, the
amount of discomfort varies with each individual, but
any irritation is minor and usually disappears within a
few hours. You may be sensitive to light for a few days.
How many people have had
it?
Let us give you
numbers from USA:
An estimated 960,000
American eyes received treatment in 1999; for 2000, 1.5
million laser vision correction procedures are expected.
That's about 750,000 Americans this year.
Only in our Istanbul
hospital 40.000 operations performed by the founder of
the hospital.
How is laser vision
correction different from previous types of refractive
eye surgery?
RK (radial
keratotomy) is also a surgical procedure that can
correct nearsightedness. With RK, the surgeon makes a
series of cuts in the cornea; no laser is involved. You
may know someone who has had RK, but it is rarely
performed now and was never approved by the FDA.
Current FDA-approved
laser vision correction methods are PRK (photorefractive
keratectomy) and LASIK (laser-assisted in situ
keratomileusis).
What's the difference?
At LASIK VISION, most
patients receive the LASIK (Laser in-situ keratomileusis)
corrective procedure. Depending on the health and
condition of your eye, PRK (Photorefractive keratectomy)
may be a better option. The same excimer laser is used
in both treatments.
In the LASIK procedure, before using the excimer laser,
surgeons gain access to the bed of the cornea by
creating a hair-thin corneal flap in the eye's outer
membrane. A delicate, finely tuned automated instrument
called a microkeratome makes this flap with exacting
precision in a matter of seconds. After lasering the
cornea, the flap is replaced and the membrane heals
naturally.
In PRK, no corneal
flap is created. The surface cells of the cornea are
gently polished away allowing the laser to reshape the
bed of the cornea. After the procedure, a protective
lens is placed over the eye for approximately five days
while the surface of the cornea heals. The lens is
removed in a follow-up visit.
How long does the treatment take?
Laser treatment
itself takes only about 15 to 40 seconds, based on the
degree of correction necessary. The whole process per
eye is 4 minutes. Recovery is minimal, and usually the
patient is able to be driven home after about 30
minutes. Typically, you will notice improved sight in 3
to 5 days following treatment.
Does laser vision
correction hurt?
You won't feel pain
during LASIK or PRK, because your surgeon will place
anaesthetic drops in your eye first. Afterward,
medication may be prescribed if necessary. Many patients
report no more than mild discomfort for a day or so -
often it's an itchy feeling, as if sand were in the eye.
If I just had an eye
exam, must I wait for my next one before having the
surgery?
No. You can ask your
eye care practitioner about laser vision correction at
any time, and if you're eligible, there's no need to
wait.
How do I know if I'm
eligible?
Only your eye care
practitioner can make that judgement. But here are some
guidelines:
- You must have
healthy eyes - no glaucoma, infection, cataracts, severe
dry eye, or any other condition that would affect
post-operative healing.
- You must be an adult: at least 18 for some procedures
and at least 21 for others, the above limit is 65 years
old.
- Your vision must be stable for at least a year before
surgery.
- If you're pregnant or nursing, your hormonal levels
can affect the shape of your eye. You'll need to wait
until hormones are back to normal levels.
- You cannot have a degenerative or autoimmune disease,
since this would affect healing.
- Myopia up to - 14 diopters.
- Astigmatism up to 6 diopters.
- Hyperopia up to 7 diopters.
- Excimer Laser is not suitable as a treatment for
keratoconus, uveitis and those with inadequate cornea
thickness.
What happens before surgery?
This is an outpatient
procedure, which means you'll spend around an hour at
the surgeon's office and walk out afterwards. Someone
else should drive you home, since you'll need to take it
easy right after surgery. The laser treatment itself
usually takes less than a minute, while the entire
procedure takes around 15 minutes.
You'll lie down in a reclining chair, and the surgeon
will place anaesthetic drops in your eye. Your head will
be positioned under the laser, and a retainer will be
placed to hold your eyelids open. You'll be asked to
focus on a blinking light.
If you're having PRK,
the laser removes the outer layer of the cornea. In
LASIK, the surgeon cuts a thin flap in the top of the
cornea, folds it back out of the way, uses the laser to
remove some corneal tissue, then puts the flap back in
place.
In both procedures,
the pieces of corneal tissue removed by the laser are
microscopic - less than the thickness of a human hair.
What happens on the day of treatment?
Your eye care
practitioner will give you a thorough eye exam to make
sure your eyes are healthy and you're a suitable laser
vision correction candidate. Tests will look for
glaucoma, cataracts, and other disqualifying conditions.
Also, a machine called a corneal topographer will
photograph and electronically map your eye. The surgeon
will use this map to plan your surgery for the most
precise results possible.
What happens afterward?
The surgeon will
place drops or ointment in your eye. You may relax for a
little while, and then go home and rest. You'll probably
notice clearer vision immediately, and it may improve
even more as the weeks go by.
When will I be able to
return to work?
Most people can
return to work one to three days following surgery, but
a rule of thumb is to wait until you feel up to it. Most
return to normal activities as soon as the day after
surgery.
Are there any side effects?
Some people
experience dry eye, which usually is alleviated with
drops and disappears over time. Another side effect may
be starbursts or halos around lights, especially at
night. Usually this effect lessens or disappears over
time, too.
Is the treatment permanent?
According to the
results of the U.S. clinical trials and results reported
internationally, the treatment appears to be permanent.
As people age, however, their eyes change and
re-treatment may be necessary.
Are there any activity
restrictions following surgery?
Following surgery, do
not rub your eyes. Other than that, patients can do
whatever they feel up to as long as they follow their
doctors' instructions.
What if I move my head
during surgery?
This is the number
one question that patients ask when undergoing laser
treatment. The surgeon is skilled in the technique of
removing his foot from the pedal that controls the
ultraviolet beam as soon as a patient moves his or her
head. This allows him to realign the beam with the
corneal "target" and proceed with the surgery.
Do I need a referral from
my eye doctor?
No. Our own medical
staff of eye care professionals can evaluate your
current prescription and assess your individual vision
correction needs. By offering the complete range of
services within our own clinics, we are able to
eliminate the industry-standard referral fees and pass
the savings on to you, the patient.
What kind of laser is it?
We use the Wavelight
Allegretto Excimer Laser instrument which is a 4th
generation laser with advanced properties.
It functions with
0.95 mm. Diameter mobile laser beam. The speed is rather
high (200 Hz.) as compared to other lasers. This high
speed creates a more uniform action surface.
Moreover, it
possesses a 250 Hz. eye tracker system. This property
prevents deviations of hitting other areas even if the
patient moves eyes during treatment.
Besides, the ability
to adjust the eyes rotation on the centre axis (cyclotorsion)
with Kappa angle (angle between eyeball centre axis and
vision axis) enables the instrument to target only the
treatment area.
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