LASIK Eye Surgery FAQ’s

LASIK, the short form of laser in-situ keratomileusis, is a surgical procedure done to correct the vision. The correction of eyesight is done in patients suffering from myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. It is one of the most performed surgery all-overs the world with a high success rate. This procedure provides prolonged freedom from glasses and contact lens to the patient. This surgery comes under the refractive correction procedure as it helps in correcting the refractive errors in vision. The person may experience immediate enhancement in the vision. Barring few complications which can be minimized through proper preoperative evaluation and appropriate surgical technique and expertise the surgery is considered as one of the safest.

LASIK is laser vision correction procedure utilizing a laser called EXCIMER laser. These are high energy beam which transfers the energy to corneal tissues. The surgery is done through computer-controlled laser for high accuracy and precision and the energy so transferred to the corneal tissue causes corneal reshaping by vaporizing a small quantity of tissues.

The surgery takes place in two steps. In the FIRST step, a very thin and hinged corneal flap is formed with the help of a laser ( femtolasik or blade free lasik ) or automated microkeratome ( blade lasik ). In the SECOND step, the flap is pulled to expose the underlying corneal tissue and the excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea by removing a small amount of corneal tissue. After reshaping the cornea, the flap is then repositioned on the cornea.

LASIK surgery is performed to avoid the dependency on glasses and contact lenses. Allmost all patients are happy with the outcome. However, the results vary from individual to individual, Various factors affect the quality of results obtained through LASIK surgery. Important are surgeons expertise, the technology used and appropriate patient and technique selection. Preoperative evaluation plays a pivotal role in determing the satisfactory and successful visual outcome. To achieve the best results, a thorough ophthalmological examination is a prerequisite to establishing candidature to undergo LASIK surgery. The experience of the surgeon and the technology used to perform LASIK surgery are other important factors that may make a difference on LASIK outcome.

The laser is a highly effective and safe surgery for correcting refractive errors. LASER surgery is commonly used to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism because of various advantages it offers to the patients.

Various advantages offered by LASIK surgery include:

Outcome: LASIK surgery meets the expectation of almost 96% of the patient in one go and the number further increases through revision surgery. It was introduced in the market almost 25 years ago and is still the mainstay for correcting refractive errors.

Pain-free: The LASIK surgery is virtually painless as it is done under the effect of anesthesia.

Pain-free: The LASIK surgery is virtually painless as it is done under the effect of anesthesia.

Immediate result: Most patients experienced enhanced vision immediately after surgery while others have improved vision within 24 hours.

No stitches: The surgery does not involve any stitches or bandages.

LASIK surgery involves certain risk but these can be minimized by the implementation of high-technology instruments, undergoing surgery from an experienced surgeon and adequate post-operative care. Following are some of the complications associated with LASIK surgery:

Risk of infection: Antibiotics are prescribed before and after the surgery to minimize or avoid the infection. If the patient fails to adhere to the prescription, the infection may develop in the treated eye.

Glare or halos: Glare and halos, especially in the people with large pupil, may also occur after LASIK surgery. It is minimized using an aspheric wavefront optimized profile on the advanced MEL 80 excimer laser systems from CARL ZEISS (GERMANY)

Dry Eyes: Dryness may be induced after LASIK surgery through the period differs from patient to patient. Lubricating eye drops are prescribed post-surgery.

Fluctuation in the vision: may happen in initial postoperative period but settles within a weeks time.

Other rare complications: Other rare but serious complications include scarring, the problem in equipment during surgery, and flap-related complications.

For determining the eligibility of the candidate for LASIK surgery, a comprehensive evaluation of the eye is required. Following are the right candidates for LASIK surgery:

• Should be over 18 years of age
• Should be in a healthy state to bear the stress of surgery.
• Should not suffer from any underlying unmanaged medical condition such as unmanaged hypertension or uncontrolled diabetes.
• Should not be pregnant or breastfeeding.

Choosing the best ophthalmological surgeon for LASIK surgery requires a lot of research and gathering information about various surgeons. Following elements help you in deciding the best surgeon for LASIK surgery:

Experience: The experience of the surgeon is one of the important considerations for safe surgery. Risks of complications increase manifold when an inexperienced surgeon does the surgery. You should always check the experience of the surgeon and the number of LASIK surgeries he had done. At BAJAJ EYE CARE CENTRE we have experienced surgeons who have done thousands of successful procedures.

Infrastructure: Clinics or hospitals which invest much in infrastructure are believed to have the high-end and latest technology. Gather information about the technology used during the surgery. BAJAJ EYE CARE CENTRE uses the most advanced technology from the world leaders in laser vision correction procedures – CARL ZEISS VISUMAX FEMTOSECOND LASER machine for blade free lasik and the MEL 80 EXCIMER LASER machine for bladefree and blade lasik. BAJAJ EYE CARE CENTRE is also the first centre to install ZEISS VISUMAX – SMILE machine for flapless and totally blade free lasik in whole of NORTH DELHI.

Success rate: High success rate indicates the expertise of the surgeon in performing LASIK surgery.

YES. Most of the laser vision correction procedures are done simultaneously on both the eyes. it saves time and restricts the number of visits to the eye centre.

As the surgery is performed under the effect of anesthesia, the patient does not feel any pain during the surgery. However, after the effect of anesthesia gets reduced, some patients may feel mild discomfort and irritation. However, the discomfort subsides within hours after the procedure.

The need for reading glasses after LASIK surgery depends on your age. No reading glasses are required in less than 40 years of age group.