IOL Surgery Options
Laser eye surgery is normally performed under local anaesthetic following an initial consultation. The patient's prescription is programmed into the laser machine and the treatment, which usually takes around ten minutes per eye, has to be performed under sterile conditions.
The doctor applies anaesthetic drops to the eye. Then a small clip is used to keep the eyelid open and a small suction ring is applied to the eye for a few seconds. This allows a thin layer of the cornea which covers the eye -- known as the epithelium -- to be lifted up to create a flap using a surgical instrument called a micro-keratome. The Excimer laser is then used for about 45 seconds to remove the required amount of corneal tissue to reshape the cornea. The corneal flap is then returned to exactly the same place.
What could be the potential problems in laser eye surgery?
Even though laser eye surgery is a speedy procedure it is still a full surgical one and as such there are many concerns about the operation. Lasik is also irreversible. Most clinics claim around 83 per cent of clients end up with 20/20 vision. However, there are no specific figures to show how many people return for more laser treatment or end up with severe problems which require further specialist eye treatment in hospital.
And because the treatment is still relatively new it is not yet possible to track the very long-term health implications of Lasik.
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