LASIK EYE SURGERY AT KMN EYECARE

The first step in LASIK eye surgery procedure is 3D Corneal Mapping, which determines your visual acuity using the wavefront analysis. Because each of your eyes is as unique as your fingerprint or DNA, your doctor needs an accurate and detailed analysis of each eye before moving on to the next steps. Wavefront analysis collects a high-definition 3D visual representation of each eye’s visual pathway by comparing light passing through your eye to the light pattern of a perfect eye. Your doctor then uses this information to help personalize each of your eye’s vision correction requirements so as to provide you with the best possible results.

Wavefront analysis technology measures your eyes’ unique imperfections 25 times more accurately than standard methods while capturing 1200 data points to accurately measure your unique vision imperfections and deliver a highly personalized treatment. (Source: Alcon)

The second step in the LASIK eye surgery procedure is the flap creation, using the IntraLase method. KMN EyeCare uses iFS™ Advanced Femtosecond Laser, a 100% bladeless laser approach, to create your personalized flap. This method uses tiny, precise pulses of laser light to tailor and create the corneal flap customized to your unique eye shape. The LASIK flap, a thin layer of tissue, is then folded back in preparation to gently reshape the cornea. The iFS™ Advanced Femtosecond Laser takes only 10 seconds to create the flap, compared to other femtosecond laser technology that requires 30-40 seconds. Aside from that, the flap created is smoother and has a highly precise thickness.

The third step of the LASIK eye surgery procedure is to gently reshape your cornea using an Excimer Laser based on your unique wavefront analysis measurements and correction information.  Afterwards, your doctor will reposition the flap, and your procedure is complete. Your flap heals naturally to the underlying strombus bed.

LASIK, or Laser Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, treats refractive errors such as:

• near-sightedness (myopia)
• farsightedness (hypermetropia)
• astigmatism

by changing the thickness and curve of the cornea. Conventional LASIK surgery still uses a mechanical blade; however, LASIK is completely bladeless and uses only femtosecond laser. This results in far higher levels of precision and accuracy than conventional LASIK. LASIK at KMN EyeCare specifically uses two pieces of equipment: Femtosecond Laser and Excimer Laser. Only the combination of these two pieces of equipment can be termed "Bladeless" LASIK.

In all the years that KMN EyeCare has performed LASIK, there has never been a complaint that the treatment is painful. Prior to surgery, you will be given topical anaesthetic in the form of eye drops. No injections are required, and you remain conscious throughout the procedure.

There are 8 tests you must undergo:

• refraction,
• intraocular pressure measurement,
• corneal topography,
• tear production,
• corneal thickness,
• specular microscope,
• lab test, and
• physical eye examination.

Your doctor will use these test results to determine if you are a candidate for LASIK.

LASIK eye surgery can treat refractive errors including near-sightedness up to -12 Dioptre, astigmatism +/- 6 Dioptre, farsightedness up to 8 Dioptre. However, whether or not you are a candidate for LASIK depends on your corneal thickness.

If all goes to plan, LASIK treatment at KMN EyeCare takes 20 minutes from the time you enter to when you leave the operating room.

You will be given a list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for the two weeks after undergoing LASIK. In principle, you should use your eyes as soon as possible so as to adapt to your new vision. However, you should not rub your eyes, allow water to enter the eyes, or wear makeup around the eye.

In all the years that KMN EyeCare has performed LASIK, there has never been a complaint that the treatment is painful. Prior to surgery, you will be given topical anaesthetic in the form of eye drops. No injections are required, and you remain conscious throughout the procedure.

• Higher safety levels. KMN EyeCare LASIK is approved.
•  Precision. Some LASIK procedures simply reshape the cornea based on a standard prescription, giving everyone the same treatment. KMN EyeCare LASIK uses wavefront-guided technology to provide a precise diagnostic map of the cornea by measuring how light waves are distorted as they travel through your cornea.
•  Recovery. The flap created in LASIK generally re-bonds faster to the underlying stromal bed because it is created by the femtosecond laser beam that applies a series of tiny bubbles within the central layer of the cornea without cutting the cornea, as would a blade.

KMN EyeCare’s pre-LASIK operation exam is extremely thorough and, if you are not a LASIK candidate, your surgeon will not proceed. At the very least, you must fulfil the following personal requirements:

• be 18 years of age or older,
• have healthy eyes,
• have stable vision,
• not be lactating or pregnant,
• not suffer from diabetes,
• remove your soft lenses for 2 weeks prior,
• and remove hard lenses for 3 weeks prior.

The types and length of side effects differ for each patient, but generally you will encounter a slight “grainy” feeling in your eye, glare, dryness and fluctuating visual acuity. These side effects are almost always temporary and generally disappear completely several months after the procedure.

This is extremely subjective and depends on each patient’s situation, but generally:

• 2-3 hours after the procedure, the patient experiences slightly cloudy vision and discomfort;
• 24 hours afterwards, their visual acuity will be improved, but there will still be a “halo” effect;
• after one week, visual acuity continues improving but is still unstable;
• after two weeks and beyond, patients generally enjoy high visual acuity.