LASER EYE SURGERY

LASER EYE SURGERY

What is laser surgery?

Laser eye surgery is a surgical procedure applied by eye specialists to relieve visual defects such as myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism. According to the degree of visual impairment, the transparent corneal layer on the eye is reshaped with a laser beam programmed through a computer, and visual impairment is fixed. This process is called excimer laser refractive surgery.

What are the treatment methods with Excimer Laser?

PRK Method

In the PRK technique, the corneal epithelium which is the most transparent and the most anterior layer of the eye is taken and then excimer laser treatment is applied. Epithelial texture heals within 3 days.

LASEK Method

In LASEK technique the cornea, which is the most transparent layer of the eye, is removed by softening with dilute alcohol and excimer laser treatment is applied afterwards. The epithelium is then closed again. Epithelial texture heals within 3 days.

These two methods are preferred in cases where the degree of refractive error is advanced and the corneal thickness is not suitable for LASIK. Although both PRK and LASEK methods are reliable methods there can be complaints such as burning, stinging and watering for 2-3 days in postoperative patients. In order to shorten the healing period of the epithelium and protect the eye, the contact lens is attached for 3-4 days after the operation. Patients’ visions are fully recovered within about 10 days. With these methods, complete recovery in patients who undergo surgery can be about 3 months.

LASIK Method

The LASIK method is a correction of visual defects by lifting a flap from the corneal tissue using a mechanical knife and applying Excimer Laser to the tissue under the flap.

Intralase LASiK Method

In this procedure, a valve is removed from the anterior part of the cornea with Intralase (bladeless laser) and the excimer laser is applied to the lower side to correct the visual defect. In this method, laser technology is used instead of a mechanical blade. This method is also known as Intralase Lasik Excimer Laser Therapy and is the treatment method most commonly used by eye specialists in the treatment of refractive errors.

In Intralase Lasik Excimer Laser treatment, the corneal structure which can be changed from person to person should be determined in the first step and a special treatment should be planned by determining the visual defects with Wavefront analysis method. In order to apply LASIK surgery, eye refractive defects and eye structure should be appropriate. In the second step a lid is removed from the transparent part of the eye with Intralase (laser without blade). The valve lifting is carried out entirely at the computer control without the use of a knife. There may be a slight feeling of pressure in the eye during this procedure. In the third stage, the Intralase LASIK operation is completed by applying the excimer laser by telling the patient to look at the red light.

Intralase LASiK surgery can be applied to patients who are between 18 – 65 years of age, and who have not changed their eyeglasses number in the last year. LASIK is not applied to patients with keratoconus, uveitis, thin cornea, uncontrolled glaucoma and uncontrolled diabetes and is not applied to pregnant and lactating mothers. With LASIK method, astigmatism can be treated in addition to hypermetropia up to 6 degrees and myopia up to 12 degrees. Prior to LASIK, the use of contact lenses should be interrupted. Patients may return to their normal daily lives on the day following the operation. After LASIK surgery, it is recommended to use short-term protective glasses, antibiotics and cortisone drops.

Unwanted conditions such as infection, night reflections, under-correction and over-correction can develop in very rare cases.