Laser Treatment Information

Laser treatment for the correction of myopia (short-sight), hypermetropia (long-sight) and astigmatism has been carried out now for approximately 15 years. I have been carrying out laser treatment myself for 10 years.

There are several different types of laser treatments available. PRK, photo-refractive keratectomy was the original Excimer laser treatment. This cuts a prescription directly on to the surface of the eye. I personally have largely given up using this therapy because it is quite painful and takes a number of months for the eye to settle and achieve the best level of sight.

Lasik is the form of laser treatment which I most commonly perform. A small flap of corneal tissue is raised and then the laser is applied underneath the flap. It produces mild to moderate discomfort for 24 hours but good vision is often achieved without 1 to 2 days although the eye does take several weeks to heal fully.

All laser treatments are surgical techniques and do carry risks inherent in surgery such as infection or haemorrhage and also specific risks related to the particular method of treatment. In Lasik there is a small risk in the order of a few per cent that the flap of tissue does not come away cleanly. Sometimes the flap can be replaced and the treatment carried out at a later date but rarely the flap can be damaged and this can cause a significant impairment of vision in the eye. Unpredictable healing responses to the laser treatment is a rare problem but is not something that can be anticipated and can result in reduced vision or optical problems. It is quite common after Lasik treatment for star burst effects to occur while looking at lights or for glare to be present although these visual effects generally will improve and settle with time in the majority of people. Transient dry eyes are also a common consequence of Lasik. This is where the eyes feel gritty, dry and sore for a number of weeks and sometimes months following the treatment but this is remedied by using artificial tears or sometimes other techniques. In the vast majority of people it will fade over a period of time.

Lasek treatment involves removing a very superficial layer of tissue from the corneal that is the epithelium and using the Excimer laser to treat the cornea and then rolling the flap of tissue back over it. The cornea heals quicker than with PRK but less rapidly than with the Lasik. There can be some problems with the epithelia tissue healing and I generally prefer Lasik to Lasek.