Am I Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery?

14 Apr 2012

Find out if you are suitable for laser eye surgery. Are you eligible for potentially life changing laser eye surgery treatment?

 

Laser eye surgery is one of the wonders of modern medicine, transforming the lives of over 30 million people who would rather not wear contact lenses or glasses. The crystal-clear vision achieved with laser eye surgery is far superior to the vision achieved with glasses and lenses and so the only regret is not having it done years earlier.

 

Laser eye surgery, such as that at Optilase, is performed with an excimer laser and a precision surgical instrument called a microkeratome which is used to create the corneal flap. Whereas until fairly recently the operation removed a layer of the cornea it now consists of creating a temporary flap in the cornea through which the laser does its work of reshaping the cornea. In this way, there is no epithelium removed that will simply grow back later on and require an additional course of treatment to remove it again. The whole operation is performed under local anaesthetic and lasts about 15 minutes.

 

Common types of laser eye surgery

Of the two most common types of eye surgery available today, LASIK is the most popular, with a very short recovery time for the patient. LASEK treatment is similar but is appropriate for people with relatively thin corneas for whom LASIK is unavailable. LASEK treatment entails about three to four days recovery time whereas LASIK can be even shorter.

 

Am I a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery?

 

Unfortunately, the answer to the question, Am I Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery? is not clear-cut. It is not the case that everyone is equally suitable for refractive eye surgery, there are points to consider before hand. There are health related issues as well as various eye conditions that may make such treatment inappropriate. A qualified professional will always give their approval before such surgery can go ahead, even though the procedure is quite minor. It is estimated that around 20 per cent of patients that apply for laser eye surgery are unable to go through with the procedure.

 

For example, when a patient is pregnant or breastfeeding is not a suitable time for taking accurate readings of the eye. With all the hormonal activity going on the eyes often adjust to nearsightedness and sometimes long-sightedness during pregnancy. Also, medication may sometimes be required following the treatment, pregnancy can throw off the most appropriate prescription making it a difficult time to provide the correct medication post procedure.

 

People with glaucoma who have the characteristic optic nerve damage of later phases cannot be treated, although someone with ocular hypertension and no nerve damage will usually receive the treatment.

 

The minimum legal age for receiving laser eye surgery is 18. However, as the majority of individual prescriptions do not stabilise completely until the age of around 21, younger applicants will usually have to provide evidence that their prescriptions have not changed for a year or more before being accepted.

 

As mentioned above, if an applicant's corneas are thinner than the norm they may still be deemed suitable for LASEK laser eye surgery, provided a specialist agrees that it would be safe to go ahead with this.

 

There are a number of factors that may make you unsuitable for laser vision correction. These include prescriptions stronger than -10 or +5. Having a squint or a lazy eye can also rule you out. (Note that laser vision correction can be carried out on some patients with a lazy eye, depending on its severity).

 

For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is necessary to wait until 6 months after finishing. You also need to be over the age of 18.

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Patient Reviews

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Thelma Scanlon
September 23, 2023

Great experience and great after care. Had 2020 vision within 24 hours with very minimal pain.

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Amanda Mulligan
September 23, 2023

Amazing experience , amazing staff, amazing eye sight . I had lens replacement 3 months ago and would highly recommend.

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Mr. O’Flynn Education
September 23, 2023

I got my laser eye surgery done on April 20th and couldn’t be happier. I had one hard day of recovery, followed by dry eyes for a small while. Sleeping with the protective goggles is the hardest part, but you’re helped throughout the process by experts. I couldn’t recommend this enough and Optilase were a dream to deal with. Even if you can’t afford the treatment now, you can always talk about a payment plan and get the vision you’ve always wanted.

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Holli Burgon
September 18, 2023

I could not rate high enough, consultation was extremely informative and the staff were amazing, very friendly and answered all my questions with ease.

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Roisin Byrne
September 15, 2023

I had a wonderful experience in Optilase in Ely Place, the staff were so kind and helpful and made me feel really comfortable. Would absolutely recommend

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PAULA Moriarty
September 7, 2023

Couldn't rate Optilase high enough. I had Lens Replacement Surgery. My experience from the first phone call to the procedure itself and the aftercare was fantastic. All of the staff from the call centre to the staff in Carrickmines and the theatre were so helpful and friendly. Would definitely recommend .

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JeriesHamaty
September 5, 2023

I had my PRK done on both eyes , and im happy with the result. The post operation pain was extreme but it settled down after 4 days. Now i feel great after 2 weeks post operation no complications what so ever , other than blurry vision now and then, but its improving every day

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Rebekah Lowry
August 25, 2023

Got LASIK in Ely Place only yesterday and officially had 20/20 vision just 24 hours later! Cannot recommend Optilase enough from my initial consultation with Aisling in Athlone to my trips to Carrickmines and Ely Place. The staff really look after you from the moment you walk in the door and make you feel so at ease from start to finish - 10 out of 10 experience!

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Kate Oto
August 21, 2023

I highly recommend this place, reliable information and care, full professionalism.

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Lisa Simcox
August 21, 2023

LASIK was so easy and pain free. It’s one week post surgery and my eye sight is wonderful. I couldn’t recommend enough.

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Declan Wynne
August 21, 2023

I no longer need glasses,absolutely life changing.Great aftercare,lovely staff.

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Poliana Oliveira
August 9, 2023

I have been wearing glasses for over 20 years. I always hated wearing contact lenses and I got to a time in my life that I needed a change. A friend recommended optilase, I went for the free consultation and the person that did all the exams was really nice and I felt safe and confident enough to go ahead, I was recommended the PRK. I Put on a piece of paper how much I spent and would still spend on glasses for the next 10 years, and the surgery was for sure cheaper than that. My prescription was very high, both eyes, myopia and astigmatism Optilase provided all the information I needed, in clear manner. And they always made clear that there was nothing wrong with my eyes, it was my own choice to go for the surgery. The day of the surgery I was a bit nervous, who wouldn't? But then, from the reception to the surgeon, they were all so nice and welcoming. Hernandez performed the procedure, lovely surgeon, again all information was provided the way it should. I was instructed in what I should and should not do. The actual procedure took less than 15min, I felt nothing, no discomfort or anything. The whole process is very well done by the team, if I remember well around 3 people supporting the surgery plus one other girl providing pos surgery instructions. Right after the procedure I could already see much better than before without glasses! I couldn't believe it, I cried, thanked everyone and left the clinic knowing that I made the best choice. The recovery for PRK is a bit longer, I stayed for 2 full days no phones, or any screens. In the dark. If you have a little one, I would recommend to have someone minding them, as you are very limited in what you can do for the day of and day after surgery. It is hard to open the eyes, the second day after surgery was the toughest, I thought all went wrong as the vision got worst, but again I was advised it could happen. Note that this was my experience and could be different for other people. The 3rd day I felt nothing and could see much better already. Light sensitivity was very high, and still, 6 days after surgery, but nothing that a sun glasses would not help. My vision still blurred, but I need no glasses to see, my eyes feel dry sometimes, but the eye drops provided helps with it and and am very happy with the results already, even knowing it takes a bit longer to fully recover the vision. I'm back to work (screen at 200% to make sure I dont force my eyes too much) and I have had no headaches or anything, which I would have all the time looking at screens for most of my day. I cannot recommend Optilase enough, they are amazing! If you want to do something for your self and want a place you can trust, go for it, choose Optilase. Thanks to the whole team for one of the best things I did for my self!

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