Lasik

Laser in situ Keratomileusis - Laser refractive eye surgery used to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. A thin corneal flap is created either using a blade or by laser pulses (Femtosecond), then an excimer laser is used to permanently reshape the central part of the cornea (stroma), producing surgical flattening of the cornea and then the flap is replaced.

What types of lasik treatment are there?

Lasik laser eye surgery comes in various forms and each perform the same eye treatment in a slightly different way, the types available include;

Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) - This type of lasik reshapes the cornea without the need to create a cornea flap, it is an advanced type of lasik surgery only undertaken by extremely experienced laser eye surgeons. The recovery time for this type of Lasik treatment tends to be longer than other forms usually lasting a few weeks.
Blended Vision – This type of Lasik treats each eye separately to improve nearsightedness and far sightedness. This procedure balances each eye separately to adjust accordingly reshaping one eye for nearsightedness and the other for farsightedness.
IntraLasik – This type of lasik is used to create a corneal flap using a laser rather than a blade and although the actual time taken to produce the flap is greater than traditional forms of lasik it creates a thinner flap and lacks the imperfections that can be caused by a microkeratome blade.
Wavefront (custom lasik) – This procedure gives the eye surgeon the opportunity to create tailored laser eye procedures that are unique to each patience eye structure. A form of 3D map of the eye is created by measuring how much light travels through the eye and then compared to an eye with perfect vision. This is used as a guide to correct the eye’s vision to how it should be. This procedure can be used to help improve night vision disorders such as halos and glare.

Conditions lasik is most commonly used for;

Myopia - This is the term used for nearsightedness, or short-sightedness. The condition occurs when the eye ball is too long or the cornea is curved too much. During the procedure the front surface of your eye is flattened with the laser.
Hyperopia - This is the term used for long-sightedness, or farsightedness. It occurs in the opposite way to myopia whereby the eyeball is too short or the cornea is not curved enough. During the procedure the central cornea is made steeper when the laser removes corneal tissue in this area.
Astigmatism – This term is where the cornea or lens has a slightly different curvature in one direction to the other, it can lead to short or long sightedness and even blurred vision. It is corrected by reshaping the steepest part of the cornea and making it more spherical.

Why Lasik?

Lasik is a popular form of laser eye treatment because it leaves the patient with very little pain afterwards and the results are achieved very quickly with patients having vision restored by the following day. The procedure is long lasting and offers patients a real alternative to having to wear glasses or contact lenses every day.

How long will it last and where can I have it done?

The equipment offered at clinics throughout the UK will vary greatly, and the treatment time is dependent on the equipment. At Optegra, we have invested in the most advanced laser in the world, and the only one available in the UK, the CONCERTO Excimer Laser. The laser will treat an average patient’s prescription in less than 5 seconds. For example, if you are a -4 prescription, your treatment will last 4.8 seconds. You can be assured that safety and accuracy have not been compromised to gain this advancement in technology.
There are many laser eye surgeries offering lasik in the UK and abroad. Once you have chosen your surgery the operation is usually performed in a surgical suite.

Would Lasik Laser Eye Surgery be right for me?

For further details on lasik or other laser eye surgery procedures or to book a consultation please contact Optegra Laser Eye Care today.