What is the most advanced procedure in laser eye surgery?

Laser eye surgery itself represents an incredible advance over earlier methods of vision correction, such as standard scalpel surgery.

If you compare its effects to correction with glasses or contact lenses then… – no, it is impossible to make such a comparison! Visual acuity after laser correction is incomparably better than after correction with even the most modern contact lenses.

You should know that:

• The history of surgical vision correction dates back to the ’50s. At the time, one of its pioneers, Japanese ophthalmologist Dr. Sato, performed a series of procedures on volunteers with myopia. At first, he made corneal incisions using a traditional scalpel, and although the improvement in patients’ vision was significant, these procedures were fraught with a high number of post-operative complications. Around 1973, Dr. Sato stopped performing this type of procedure but the seed was sown and specialists continued to look for new solutions. You can read more about the histology of refractive surgery here.

• Some of the oldest methods of refractive laser surgery are PRK(Photo Therapeutic Keratectomy), which has been performed since the late ’80s, and its improved method, LASIK(Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis), which has been available since 1989. In 1999, they are joined by LASEK(Laser Subepithalial Keratomileusis), an advanced PRK method that reduces pain after correction and shortens the recovery period.

Who is PRK/LASEK for?

• For patients with irregularly shaped corneas,
• For patients with chronic dry eye syndrome,
• For those involved in contact sports.

LASEK/PRK: The procedure involves either deflecting (LASEK) or removing (PRK) the upper cellular layer of the cornea (epithelium), and then appropriately reshaping the underlying corneal tissue with an excimer laser. The goal of the procedure is to properly model the central surface of the cornea with a laser beam so that it focuses the image precisely on the retinal surface.

Who is LASIK for?

• For patients with too thin corneas that disqualify them for other laser methods

LASIK: This is ablation with a laser inside the corneal tissue. Unlike PRK, no epithelial removal is required during LASIK surgery, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.

• One of the newest, most revolutionary procedures for laser correction of such vision defects as myopia and astigmatism and combinations of both is ReLEx® SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction). This minimally invasive ophthalmic procedure is performed with a femtosecond laser and, unlike older methods such as LASEK and LASIK, does not require the removal of epithelium from the cornea. Thus, all of the upper layers of the cornea are virtually intact during the procedure, which guarantees its subsequent stability and means that discomfort is usually minimal during the healing period. If you want to learn more about how LASIK surgical methods, including FemtoLASIK, differ from SMILE, read this post.

Who is ReLex® SMILE for?

• Only in patients with myopia from -0.5 to -10 diopters and astigmatism up to -5.0 diopters

ReLex® SMILE: No corneal flap (flap) is formed or cut. The procedure is performed through a small incision on the cornea and is therefore minimally invasive. This means that there is also minimal interference with the cornea, so the healing process of the eye is very short.

• One of the newest, most revolutionary procedures for laser correction of presbyopia (presbyopia) is monovision with Laser Blended Vision (LBV) methods: Presbyond, PresbyMAX, Supracore. Unlike traditional monovision treatment, LBV treatments solve the problem at all distances and allow you to see objects near, far and even at medium distances.

For kogi PresbyMAX?

• For patients with presbyopia with co-occurring visual defects (range from – 7.0 diopters to +3 diopters and up to 4.0 cylinders) or without these defects

PresbyMAX: The cornea is modeled with a laser so that its new curvature allows the patient to see from different distances. The central part of the cornea enables near vision, while the peripheral part facilitates intermediate and distant vision. The amount of light entering the eye is not shared equally between the two parts mentioned.

LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis – laser ablation inside the corneal tissue) is a type of refractive laser eye surgery. Unlike PRK/ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), or refractive photokeratectomy, no epithelial removal is required during LASIK surgery, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.

LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis – laser ablation inside the corneal tissue) is a type of refractive laser eye surgery. Unlike PRK/ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), or refractive photokeratectomy, LASIK surgery does not require removal of the epithelium, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis – laser ablation inside the corneal tissue) is a type of refractive laser eye surgery.

Unlike PRK/ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), or refractive photokeratectomy, LASIK surgery does not require removal of the epithelium, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis – laser ablation inside the corneal tissue) is a type of refractive laser eye surgery.

Unlike PRK/ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), or refractive photokeratectomy, no epithelial removal is required during LASIK surgery, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.

LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis – laser ablation inside the corneal tissue) is a type of refractive laser eye surgery. Unlike PRK/ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation), or refractive photokeratectomy, no epithelial removal is required during LASIK surgery, leaving the patient pain-free and the eyes to heal faster.