Mythbusting laser eye surgery – will you need both eyes operated on?

30 Jun 2020

Here at Optilase, we want to combat some of the myths surround laser eye surgery.

A common question that comes up when people first start explore the idea of laser eye surgery – will you need both eyes operated on?

The answer? Not always; it depends on your vision problems.

Once you enter your mid-forties, you are more likely to develop presbyopia (ageing of the eye that makes it hard to read things up close). This is aside from whatever refractive error you have!

If your problem is seeing things in the distance, and you have both eyes corrected for this, it means you will still need reading glasses to read things close to you.

Monovision
Monovision may be an option - this means that one eye is corrected for distance vision, so you can see far away, and the other eye is either corrected for near vision or in some cases, left in its natural state.

It may work for certain patients, but it is entirely dependent on that patient’s specific eye issues and age.

When it does work, it means that reliance on glasses for both distances is done away with. However, having two eyes focussing together and corrected for the same distance is what gives us binocular vision and gives critical depth perception.

Monovision does not work for everyone, some people will be aware of visual confusion as the eyes are focused at different distances and / or that judgement of depth is impaired.

This is an important consideration for those people for whom critical depth perception is required in their occupation or hobbies. Often a trial with contact lenses to simulate monovision will be offered and patients can assess for themselves how comfortable they are.

Also, bear in mind that Monovison may work better for early presbyopes with lower reading prescriptions, so even if it works initially, it probably won’t work over time.

Optilase offer two different solutions to people with presbyopia, designed to specifically address the condition, which is age related and not a problem with your corneas, called Presbia and KAMRA.

Presbia: Presbia is a tiny prescriptive lens which is customised to your vision. It is only 3mm in diameter and about 15 microns thick (one-fourth the thickness of a single human hair).

In a procedure that typically takes less than 10 minutes, the Presbia Microlens is implanted in a small pocket in the cornea of the patient’s non-dominant eye. The pocket seals itself, holding the lens in place at the centre of the visual axis.

Your near vision capability can be improved to see near, far and in-between, resulting in a greatly-lessened dependency or even a zero reliance on reading glasses, depending on the individual. Following a preliminary assessment, and pre operative assessment, we will discuss what sort of results you can expect and help you make an informed decision when it comes to choosing this procedure.

The Presbia Flexivue Microlens™ is designed to be easy to implant and removable and replaceable if the patient needs additional power later since visual acuity predictably changes with ageing.

KAMRA: The KAMRA inlay is a tiny ring with an opening in the centre. It rests under the surface of your cornea over the centre of your pupil. The KAMRA inlay corrects presbyopia by narrowing the opening that permits light rays to enter the eye. The KAMRA inlay repositions the focal point back on the surface of the retina to achieve crisp, sharp vision. The inlay itself is only 3.8 mm in diameter. It is smaller than a contact lens and weighs less than a grain of salt.

The actual procedure is painless and takes, on average, less than 10 minutes. Patients can resume most activities the very next day, free of the dependency on reading glasses. The level of near vision improvement varies from individual to individual but on average candidates can expect near vision to improve three lines or more.

To find out more, call Optilase on +353 1 223 8821 or enter your details in the consultation form and we’ll call you.

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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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damien mcandrew
August 9, 2023

Great experience all tound from start to finish. Every step explained in great detail. Eyesight was better than 20/20 the next day. Would highly recommend using optilase for laser eye surgery

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Eve Murphy
August 9, 2023

Surgeon was great! Talked me through everything as the surgery was happening. Bit of discomfort during surgery and very painful for 2-3 hrs after but put more drops in and took a nap and then completely fine after. Colette for my consultation and post op was so friendly and helpful. Overall, great experience.

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Josman Ibarra
August 3, 2023

I highly recommend Optilase for laser eye surgery. The process from the initial consultation to the post surgery check ups was quite smooth and professional. The staff working at the clinic was very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The surgery was over in minutes and I didn't feel any pain. The doctor kept an open communication with me during the surgery what made a big difference.

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