Lasik refractive surgery from Kraff Eye Institute for instance consists of opening the corneal cavity using an alcohol solution that makes the tissue loosen so that the laser can reach the cornea, remodel it and correct the vision problem being treated. Unlike other techniques, therefore, it does not use cuts or scraping to perform the procedure.
How Is Refractive Surgery Performed With The Lasik Technique?
In the Lasik technique, the laser is applied to the cornea’s innermost layer, and a cut is made to reshape it.
How Is Refractive Surgery Performed With The PRK Technique?
Also known as Photorefractive Keratectomy, the PRK technique is very similar to Lasik, but scraping the cornea instead of cutting is used.
When Is It Recommended To Have Refractive Surgery?
Refractive surgery is recommended when the patient’s grade is stable. Otherwise, the vision problem will continue to evolve and jeopardize the procedure’s outcome. For this, the person must be over 21 years old and undergo tests requested by the doctor, who will assess whether the patient has any contraindications.
What Are The Contraindications For Performing Refractive Surgery?
The first contraindication is the patient’s age, which cannot be younger than 21 or older than 55 years. The degree also influences the indication: myopia cannot be greater than 10, hyperopia cannot be greater than 5, and astigmatism cannot be greater than 3.5 (but there are some exceptions and, in some cases, people with up to 4 degrees of astigmatism). If the patient has already had a diagnosis of keratoconus, severe amblyopia, or decompensated chronic diseases, these are also factors for contraindication. But the important thing is that you talk to an ophthalmologist who will request the exams and evaluate your case to understand if you have a surgical indication and thus perform the procedure safely.
Types Of Surgery
There are two types of surgical techniques. One of them is the PRK, in which superficial cells of the cornea are removed, and the laser is applied. It requires a longer recovery time and brings a little discomfort in the postoperative period. Vision takes an average of two weeks to return to normal.
The other technique is LASIK, which uses a laser flap. The ophthalmologist explains that the flap is like a little door or flap made in the cornea; the flap is lifted, the laser is applied, and then the flap is closed. The surgery, in general, brings discomfort only on the first day. Afterward, the patient no longer feels anything, the vision is good in both eyes in the first few days, and the post-surgical recovery is very fast. In the past, LASIK was done with a blade; the flap was not performed with a laser. Today, a femtosecond laser is used, which is very precise and accurate, bringing great safety in the surgery and much better results.