Pupil Size and Laser Eye Surgery

22 Oct 2013

The size of your pupil can vary from 2mm to 8mm depending on the natural accommodative power of your eyes and whether you are in bright (2-4mm) or dim (4-8mm) light conditions.

 

While you might think the pupil is just a big black opening in the centre of your eye that gets bigger or smaller at any given time, the truth is your pupils are responsible for controlling the amount of light allowed into the eye.

 

Surrounded by the iris, which gives your eyes their colour, the pupils contract and relax depending on the intensity of outside light.

Why do pupils change size?

Your pupillary reflex is controlled by the autonomic nervous system in the body, which instructs the muscles in the iris to either constrict or relax depending on how bright or dark conditions are.

 

Dilator muscle: Shrinks the iris when in low levels of light. This makes the pupil appear larger in order to allow as much light as possible to shine on the back of the eye.

 

Sphincter muscle: Expands the iris when you find yourself in bright conditions, so the pupil contracts and less light can infiltrate your eye.

Why does pupil size matters when it comes to Laser Eye Surgery?

Pupils are normally equal in size, but there is a condition called anisocoria which is when one pupil differs in size from the other.

 

Some people naturally have larger pupils and sometimes certain medications can cause pupils to become larger, especially in dim lighting.

 

Taking an accurate measurement of a prospective Laser Eye Surgery patient is extremely important as some corrective procedures aren’t suitable.

 

During your free consultation, pupil size will be measured in dark conditions so that the pupil is fully relaxed and at its largest.

How larger pupils can react to Laser Eye Surgery

There is a greater chance of night vision being affected in patients with large pupils, which can cause glare, halos or starbursts.

 

However, advances in laser technology have adapted so that those with large pupils can undergo Laser Eye Surgery safely.

 

The WaveFront procedure in particular is ideal for larger pupils as a 3D map of the corneal surface is taken when the pupil is fully dilated.

 

Corrective treatment is then programmed to correct every error on the cornea without negatively affecting night vision ability.

 

To find out more about WaveFront or any other corrective procedure, book your free consultation on +353 1 223 8821.

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Monica mc mahon
April 15, 2024

From beginning to End of my procedure with Optilase, I was treated personally and professionally. The surgery, true aftercare was smooth and efficient and I can only say it was the perfect choice for us . I highly recommend Optilase.

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Roxanne Bartolome
April 15, 2024

I recently had the PRK procedure a month ago. It's been life changing to be able to see clearly after wearing glasses for 20 years. My vision was not 20/20 after surgery since I had PRK and I was first scared that it won't get better. But give it time and patience and it will improve. Optilase was superb on aftercare and the team during the surgery really took care of me. I'm so happy ❤️ Thank you Optilase!

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Lin Walsh
April 12, 2024

Omg i thought about having lens replacement for 2 years , i just wish i did it then , I’m absolutely delighted with my eyes now , i am only 3 weeks over it and cant believe how wonderful it is to see everything so clear , i nearly want to tell everyone who wears glasses to do this , if i had known sooner how painless this op is i would have booked in immediately , Everyone in my Clinic were fantastic so friendly , just do it you certainly wont regret it , also the aftercare is amazing .

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Susan Sutton
April 8, 2024

Staff are all very nice and procedure was painless and quick

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David Hill
April 8, 2024

Delighted with my experience at Optilase. Professional staff who looked after me from start to finish. Procedure itself was very quick. A big thanks to the whole team.

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Aoife Mckenna
April 8, 2024

Absolutely delighted with the results of my surgery. I wish I done it years ago

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Denise Carroll
April 8, 2024

Does what it say, corrects your vision! Very fast and professional service.

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jessica daiana
April 8, 2024

Great price for excellent service. All staff was very professional and welcoming, great results and good aftercare

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gary Malone
April 6, 2024

Best thing I ever done ,👍

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Catriona Brady
April 1, 2024

Fantastic experience throughout, from consultation to aftercare. Professional, welcoming and calming staff. Appointments and procedure were easy and relaxed and the overall result was excellent. Aftercare was also great, nothing was ever a hassle.

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Rebecca Walsh
March 29, 2024

Worth the money. Staff guide you step by step to relax you through the surgery. Recommend

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Mark O'Keeffe
March 28, 2024

I found the whole process very professional and very well organised. They also assisted in the documentation process very easy. They were also very good to help in arranging the reference process too. If I was make one small comment is they need to add a prescription painkiller to the process. Although the after experience was exactly what was expected it could been managed better with a stronger pain relief. Other than that I have recommended 3 people to get the procedure from Optilase, all of which had a great experience. I would highly recommend Optilase for vision correction and the long term benefits have changed my life.

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