Why get Laser Eye Surgery?

Laser Eye Surgery can change your life.
 
It has a high success rate, and most people who undergo laser eye surgery no longer rely on their glasses or contacts. Most vision difficulties are caused by a problem with the shape of your cornea, and lasers are used to reshape the surface of the eye.
 
This is done to improve or correct myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness) and astigmatism (uneven curvature of the eye’s surface). Laser procedures have become increasingly popular and affordable in recent years.
 
The cornea is the transparent tissue that covers the front of the eye, and it helps to control focusing. Microscopic amounts of corneal tissue are removed by laser to sculpt the cornea, with a view to restoring normal eyesight.
 

Types of Surgery

 
In one of the available operations using the excimer laser, the thin outer layer of the cornea (called the corneal epithelium) is removed and the underlying layers are reshaped. This procedure is known as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).
 
In a more commonly used procedure, a thin flap of corneal tissue is created with another laser known as a femtosecond laser. The most widely used one is known as the IntraLase. This flap is then lifted out of the way. The excimer laser reshapes the underlying tissue and the flap is replaced to cover the newly recontoured surface.
 
Alternatively, an instrument with a very fine blade called a microkeratome can be used to make the flap before the excimer laser reshapes the cornea. This procedure is known as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).
 

Laser Eye Procedure

 
The excimer laser is a ‘cool’ type of laser. It doesn’t burn tissue; it vaporises tiny amounts of cornea with each pulse of the beam onto the surface of the eye. The laser is directed by computer, so is precision-controlled and will use exactly the right diameter of beam and number of pulses needed to reshape your corneal surface.
 
The procedure doesn’t take long; usually only a few minutes per eye, and the actual reshaping of the cornea by laser takes less than a minute.
 

Different Treatments for Different Sight Issues

 
Myopia – the central apex or peak of the cornea must be flattened to reduce the degree of short-sightedness.
 
Long-sightedness – the central apex of the cornea needs to be made steeper. This is done by applying the excimer laser to the edges of the cornea.
Astigmatism – this occurs when the cornea is more curved in one direction than the other so the laser is applied in a more linear fashion to make the cornea more evenly curved.
 
If the procedure is successful, the cornea is able to focus light rays directly onto the retina at the back of the eye, rather than in front of or behind the retina.
 
Book a free consultation with Optilase, and see which of these procedures is right for you. You don’t have to be dependent on glasses or contact lenses anymore. Call +353 1 223 8821.