Eye surgery with a laser can help you get rid of glasses or contact lenses for good. But is it always the most ideal solution? How does the operation proceed? And is it expensive? An answer to all your questions.
When to have laser eye treatment
In a normally functioning eye, the cornea and lens ensure that light falls precisely on your retina, creating a sharp image. The cornea is the outer layer of the eye, the lens is inside. If you are nearsighted or farsighted, the light ends up in front of or behind the retina respectively.
Glasses or contact lenses correct this deviation so that you can see clearly again. With the new surgical techniques, the eye itself is treated: the curvature of the cornea is adjusted, for example with a laser.
If you are farsighted
The holmium laser
How does the operation proceed?
The Holmium laser places symmetrically selected dots on the cornea around the pupil. This technique is called Laser Thermokeratoplasty (LTK). The heat of the laser light causes the dots to shrink and the cornea to become more convex.
Are there any disadvantages?
Not really, of all the procedures this one is even the safest, with the fewest side effects .
Are there any conditions?
This method is good for people aged about forty who are slightly farsighted, namely from + 0.5 to + 3.
How much does it cost?
An LTK operation costs approximately 1,500 euros per eye.
If you are nearsighted
The excimer laser
The excimer laser removes a layer of the cornea, making it hollower. This procedure is called Photo-Refractive Keratectomy (PRK).
How does the operation proceed?
During the operation, which is performed with full consciousness, your eyelids are held open with a spreader. First, the epithelium, the very thin top layer of the cornea, is removed with a rotating brush. The underlying layers are then treated with the laser. That takes ten to twenty seconds and that is how long you have to fixate on a green light. The entire procedure takes about twenty minutes.
Are there any disadvantages?
After the operation you cannot work for a week. The first two days in particular are quite painful, because nerve cells are exposed due to the removal of the epithelium. That is why you will be given a bandage to cover the wound and pain-relieving drops. It takes four to six weeks before your vision is completely good again. Only then can you have your second eye treated.
What does the aftercare consist of?
After the procedure you will need to use eye drops for 3 months.
Are there any conditions?
Your myopia must have been unchanged for at least a year. The best results are achieved with myopia down to -6.
How much is it?
Because laser equipment is very expensive, the treatment of one eye costs approximately 1,500 euros.
The lasik laser
How does the operation proceed?
A blade is used to remove a slice of cornea, which remains attached to the eye with a small hinge. The classic PRK treatment is then performed in the cornea, after which the disc is replaced.
Are there any disadvantages?
Not really, but it’s not that easy to do. The blades create a fairly irregular cutting surface and the cut is not always straight. That affects your vision.
However, Lasik laser surgery has the major advantage that it hurts much less than the classic laser procedure and heals faster.
Are there any conditions?
This technique is currently used for myopia of -8 and higher.
How much is it?
Up to 2000 euros per eye.
Scratches
Another solution for myopia is Radial Keratotomy (RK), the technique better known as scratches.
How does the operation proceed?
Small incisions are made in the cornea around the pupil. This is not done with a laser, but with a diamond knife.
Are there any disadvantages?
The operation hardly hurts, although at first it seems as if there are grains of sand in your eye. You also suffer from light and watery eyes. After two days you will see well again, so that both eyes can be treated within one week. The reliability of laser and scratches is approximately the same, but above -6 the laser is theoretically better. The results of the scratches are then less predictable and your visual acuity fluctuates considerably in the first few months.
Boxing and other contact sports are not recommended after scratch surgery because cracks could be caused by a blow to the eye. Aspiring airline pilots are even rejected if they have scratches. Laser is allowed.
What does the aftercare consist of?
You should use eye drops for a month.
How much is it?
About 1000 euros per eye.
The laser also helps…
If part of the cornea has a scar due to inflammation or disease and has therefore become cloudy. The laser can remove that piece.
When a small object such as a twig hits the eye and (very painfully!) part of the epithelium tears loose. After a few days the wound may close, but it has a tendency to open again and again. With antibiotics and a bandage you have a 50 percent chance of recovery, with the laser it works in 98 percent of the cases. The layer under the epithelium is smoothed, so that the wound can heal nicely.