Sick of wearing glasses? Optilase is here for you.

04 Sep 2020

If you can see perfectly at both near and far distances, then you are lucky enough to enjoy normal vision. This will change as you get older and the lens of the eye become less flexible – but not until you’re about 45 years old.

However, many people in their twenties, thirties and early forties have trouble seeing either close up or far away, and it’s usually the result of a refractive error due to the shape of the cornea at the front of the eye.

Common Refractive Errors
The shape of the cornea dictates the eye’s ability to bend or ‘refract’ light, impacting the way it gets projected onto the retina at the back wall of the eye to form an image. People who have a ‘refractive error’ or an issue with the curvature of the cornea need to rely on corrective eyewear, like glasses or contact lenses, to see properly.

However, without corrective eyewear, people are vulnerable and have blurred vision. In cases of myopia or short sightedness, people are relatively helpless without their glasses, and its effect on vision means they find it virtually impossible to carry out simple daily tasks without wearing glasses.

Hyperopia or long sightedness affects near-vision, so it normally becomes a problem when it comes to reading or deciphering small text at close range. With hyperopia, glasses need only be worn in certain instances.

How bad is my eyesight?
Understanding your prescription is important to evaluate how advanced your refractive error is and whether it has stabilized. Your Optilase Optometrist will be able to explain it to you in detail when you meet for your consultation, but basically the scale of your eye problem is measured in diopters.

The refractive power of each eye is measured in diopters (D) and if you are short sighted, your prescription will begin with a minus, e.g. -1.50D, while long sightedness prescriptions begin with a plus, e.g. +1.50D.

In cases of astigmatism, the error is measured in ‘cylinders’ because the amount of distance is not the same in all directions since astigmatism is caused by an irregular shaped cornea.

A person who is short sighted and needs a -1.00D lens has low or mild myopia and may not need to wear glasses constantly, while a prescription above -1.50 is considered moderate myopia and a person would rely heavily on glasses.

How does my prescription reflect how well I can see?
A diopter represents the inverse of a person’s focal length in metres, so that if a short sightedness person with a -2.00D prescription was to experience their “normal vision”, he/she would only be able to see objects up to ½ metre in front of them.

On the other side of the coin, a long-sighted person who needs +1.00D reading glasses can see objects at 1metre in focus, but anything closer is blurred.

Correcting vision surgically
Laser Eye Surgery can correct a person’s refractive error, reducing or eliminating their dependence on glasses and contact lenses. Laser surgery on the eye is swift and painless; the patient is awake throughout with numbing anesthetic drops applied directly to the surface of the eye.

A laser is used to quickly reshape the cornea, making it better at its job of bending light evenly to form a clear image. The treatment is tailored to your particular vision issue, with a very precise amount of tissue being removed to make the cornea a better shape to allow clear vision from any distance.

To find out more about correcting your refractive error with Laser Eye Surgery, book your free consultation at Optilase today on +353 1 223 8821.

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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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