LASIK Laser eye Surgery
LASIK (Femto-Lasik) Laser Eye Surgery has been commonly in use for over 15 years. It has become the most widely performed laser method for the correction of refractive sight errors.
Envision Eye Centre’s Principal Surgeon, Dr John Males is a world-renown LASIK specialist. Together with our welcoming clinical staff we will make sure your LASIK surgery is an anxiety-free process. All LASIK procedures are conducted onsite in our clinic.
What is the difference between LASIK and Femto-LASIK?
Envision Eye Centre perform the latest LASIK procedure known as Femto-LASIK. With traditional LASIK, a controlled blade (microkeratome) is used to create the flap (a hinged piece of corneal tissue). With Femto-LASIK, a highly precise flap is quickly created with the Carl ZEISS Visumax Femtosecond laser removing the need for a blade.
What is involved in the LASIK procedure?
Step 1: Creating the flap
A flap is created with a highly precise femtosecond laser.
Step 2: Folding back the flap
The flap is gently folded back, exposing the inner corneal tissue to be treated.
Step 2: Correct the error
An excimer laser reshapes the corneal tissue, correcting the refractive error.
Step 4: Reposition the flap
The flap is returned to its original position, protecting the eye like a natural bandage.
What are the benefits of LASIK surgery?
- The femtosecond laser is fast and highly precise and blade free. This enables the surgeon to quickly and predictably create a hinged corneal flap.
Who is suitable for LASIK Laser Eye Surgery?
The following people are a good fit for LASIK surgery:
- People over the age of 21 with a stable refraction prescription for more than 12 months
- Suitable patients who are either short-sighted (myopic), far-sighted (hyperopic) or who have astigmatism
- People who have good vision in glasses or contact lenses
- Those with moderate corneal thickness
- LASIK can treat people with prescriptions from +4 to -10 dioptres
- If you wear contact lenses please cease wearing for soft lenses three days before and hard lenses 3 weeks before the procedure. This will be outlined in your assessment.
Who is not suitable for LASIK Laser Eye Surgery?
- Patients must not be pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of the procedure.
- Who have thinner than normal corneas. The PRK vision correction is best in people with thin corneas.
- Long-sighted patients over 45 may be better suited to a Refractive Lens Exchange.
What are the risks of LASIK laser eye surgery?
LASIK is the most widely performed laser vision correction surgery worldwide with over 10 million successful surgeries completed. With any surgery there are risks although the chances of complications are considered less than 1 in 5000. Risks your doctor will discuss with you are:
- Flap related complications are very uncommon and on the rare occasion this does occur it is treatable.
- Under or over correction of eyesight is rare but can occur. This can be remedied with re-treatment (enhancement) or mild glasses for the required distance.
- Dry eye is usually a short-term problem and resolves as the cornea heals. Lubricating drops are given to all patients as some level of dryness is expected. Patients with pre-existing dry eye are at an increased risk of severe dryness post LASIK.
- Visual changes such as increased glare or haloes may be noticed while driving at night. This is more prevalent in people with high prescriptions or pre-existing night vision problems.
- Corneal ectasia can occur when the cornea becomes progressively thinner after a laser procedure and the vision is distorted and blurred. Glasses or contact lenses may be prescribed to correct the vision and Collagen Cross Linking may be performed to halt any progressive thinning. All efforts are made by your surgeon to screen out any patients who are at a greater risk of this complication.
Preparing for Surgery
What to expect for your LASIK surgery
Prior to surgery
- Please expect to be in at the facility for 1 hour. This includes pre-operative administration of relaxing medication and eye drops. We will also provide some instructions on what to expect when you are in the laser suite.
- It is important to have a friend or family member accompany you on the day.
- Wear warm comfortable clothes as the laser room is set at a specific temperature and humidity for the ideal operating performance of the laser.
- If you wear contact lenses these should not be worn 3 days prior to surgery. This will be explained again to you again in your free assessment
During the procedure
- The actual LASIK procedure takes about 10-15 minutes per eye. It will be a pain free experience as topical anaesthetic will be administered to numb the front part of the eye. You will have a special instrument inserted under your eyelids to stop you being able to close the eye.
- The doctor will talk to you throughout the procedure with instructions where to look. The Femto - LASIK component will take approximately 20 seconds, to create the flap. The bed will then be moved under the excimer laser.
- It is common to feel a bit of tugging as the doctor lifts the flap. Once the flap is lifted the laser will be applied to re-shape the tissue. This will be quite quick but does depend on the amount of treatment per patient.
- Once the treatment is complete the doctor will put the flap back into position and wait about a minute for it to adhere.
- The doctor will then apply both an antibiotic and steroid eye drop. You will be taken to a consulting room where the surgeon will run through instructions and check the position of the flap. It is normal for vision to appear hazy. It is very important not to rub the eye after surgery as it can dislodge the flap.
Post-operative recovery
- Hard eye shields will be given to wear. Most patients notice vision is clearer quickly after surgery although it is normal to experience some haze initially. Most patients are able to return to normal activities and work a few days after surgery and this includes driving.
- We recommend patients to not swim or apply make-up for up to 1 month after the procedure. This is to allow the flap to fully heal.
Free Assessment Offer
We offer a free assessment to help you determine your suitability and treatment options for laser vision correction.