Let’s establish from the outset: it is not the patient who chooses the method of vision correction. It is the doctor, after detailed diagnostic and qualifying examinations, who decides: yes, you can undergo laser surgery.
What conditions must be met on the part of the patient in order to make that initial decision about the possibility of laser intervention (because choosing a specific method is only the next step)? The type of vision defect, the anatomical condition of the eyes, age and any eye diseases, as well as general health, determine whether our eyes can undergo laser surgery.
Analysis of all the mentioned data allows the doctor to qualify (or not) the patient for laser treatment. There is no objectively best method of laser vision correction. We can only talk about technologically more or less advanced or more or less precise methods.
For each patient, the best method is the one recommended by the doctor after an in-depth interview and a series of detailed tests. For more information on eligibility for the procedure, click here https://swisslaser.pl/blog/kwalifikacja-wady-wzroku-do-korekcji-laserowej/
Patient who qualifies for laser vision correction
- He has a stabilized visual impairment. Usually this is as early as age 18, although sometimes you have to wait a little longer, and there are also cases where the doctor decides on the procedure earlier. Age restrictions for laser vision correction are set very conventionally, and qualification for the surgery largely depends on the patient’s overall condition, and individual characteristics and needs. You can read more about age restrictions for vision correction here https://swisslaser.pl/blog/jakie-sa-ograniczenia-wiekowe-przy-laserowej-korekcji-wzroku/
- It has a cornea of such thickness that allows the architecture of the procedure to be designed – a cornea that is too thin may or may not be a contraindication to the procedure. Corneal thickness is measured during an examination called pachymetry. If the cornea is too thin, but the other (very many!) eye parameters checked by the specialist, which are planned to be operated on with the laser, are correct, the laser can be programmed in such a way that such an operation can be carried out successfully.
- There are no absolute contraindications to the procedure related to eye diseases and general health. For more information, click here https://swisslaser.pl/blog/przeszkody-bezwzgledne-i-wzgledne-w-wykonaniu-laserowej-korekcji-wady-wzroku/
For each of the vision defects – myopia and hyperopia and the astigmatism that often accompanies them – the surgeon has several different surgical methods at his disposal. When choosing the appropriate method of correcting a vision defect in a particular patient, he takes into account all the above-mentioned conditions and the individual needs of the person being operated on.
Tailor-made treatment: for an athlete, for a representative of the uniformed services
So, a different method, despite the same eye defect, can recommend someone who works in a quiet office environment, another to someone who practices professional or competitive sports (especially if it is a contact sport, involving an increased risk of injury).Everything you want to know about the treatment of eye defects in athletes can be found here https://swisslaser.pl/blog/leczenie-wad-wzroku-u-sportowcow/
Still another method may be most appropriate in the case of a representative of the uniformed services. In this case, the correction of the visual defect may not make the patient classified in any of the risk groups and, for example, after the operation, the patient will not be subject to restrictions on the possibility of physical exertion or other limitations indicated in the relevant regulations. Everything you want to know about vision correction in the uniformed services can be found here https://swisslaser.pl/blog/korekcja-wad-wzroku-a-sluzby-mundurowe/
What about the size of the vision defect?
Too high a visual defect (nearsightedness of more than -10 diopters and farsightedness of more than +5 diopters) and irregular astigmatism, which is difficult to treat, are contraindications to laser correction performed by LASIK. This contraindication is associated with m. in. With the occurrence of too thin cornea in the course of the aforementioned defects.
LASIK surgery involves the creation of a corneal flap (known as a “flap”), which is carefully deflected, and then the inside of the cornea is treated with an excimer laser and reshaped so that the focus point is optimally on the retina. The flap is then resealed and the cornea heals within a few days. The higher the refractive defect, the more tissue needs to be removed to correct it. Therefore, the cornea must be thick enough to allow the procedure.
But modern refractive surgery is not only LASIK. Patients who do not qualify for this method can benefit from surface methods with complete removal of the corneal epithelium (PRK, LASEK). Thin corneas can also be laser-operated with any of the newer methods, including EPI-LASIK or EBK. Read more about superficial and deep laser vision correction methods here https://swisslaser.pl/blog/powierzchniowe-i-glebokie-metody-laserowej-korekcji-wad-wzroku/
