LASER VISION CORRECTION: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

Transcription

1 LASER VISION CORRECTION: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

2 You and your eyes Why LASIK? Our Treatment Looking Ahead What Next? FAX:

3 You and your eyes Light rays pass through the clear part at the front (the cornea) and pass through the lens, which focuses them onto the "screen" at the back of the eye called the retina. There, billions of photoreceptors (light-sensitive nerve cells) convert the image into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain. But not everybody's eyes are perfect. When the cornea, lens or eye is an abnormal shape, light cannot focus accurately on the retina and the image is blurred. The most common sight defects are as follows: Myopia (Nearsightedness): if you are myopic, light rays come to a focus before they strike your retina.you are able to see close objects clearly but everything in the distance becomes blurred. Astigmatism Hyperopia (Farsightedness): hyperopic people can see distant objects clearly but have difficulty focusing on closer ones, as the rays come to a focus behind the retina. Both near and distant objects appear blurred. It occurs when the light rays travel in two different directions inside the eye rather than being focused to one point. In the last decade, laser eye surgery has become a routine method of correcting defects like those above.the principle is simple: using microscopic points of fine laser light, the cornea is re-shaped, allowing light rays to focus accurately on the retina. Excimer lasers have become ever more accurate over the years and the most recent development - Wavefront Guided Custom LASIK - uses systems more precise and less invasive than any developed so far. Phiroze Dastoor is currently the only clinic in Mumbai to offer Wavefront Guided LASIK with Customize software using a Tscherning aberrometer, as well as conventional LASIK, allowing us to select exactly the form of treatment that is right for you. INVEST IN YOUR VISUAL FUTURE TELEPHONE:

4 Why LASIK? It is the preferred choice for refractive surgery by surgeons worldwide Procedure is done on an out-patient basis Clarity of vision within hours of surgery Extremely predictable No more daily rituals with visual aids Greater convenience for playing sports Broad range of treatable prescriptions Both eyes treated on the same day Conventional LASIK Conventional LASIK corrects only prescription (sphere and cylinder) and a single central reading of corneal curvature map. For those people who have lower prescriptions, typically those up to -3.0 to +2.0 dioptres without astigmatism or irregular corneal curvature, conventional LASIK may suffice. Wavefront Guided Custom LASIK Customised LASIK has a higher potential for perfect vision and lower potential for visual compromise. Patients with more complex prescriptions, unusual corneal shapes or who want the best visual outcome will benefit from Custom LASIK. Every patient s eye differs in corneal shape, corneal thickness and pupil size.wavefront technology analyses the entire visual system from the corneal surface through the crystalline lens of the eye, all the way back to the retina. A device called a Tscherning Wavefront Analyser projects a fine grid of 168 light beams onto the retina and captures its image using a high-resolution camera. The image is then compared with one from a normal eye and the information is used to create an ideal vision correction profile which removes any distortion from the optical path in order to bring an object into perfect focus. Due to the flexibility of numerous possible treatment patterns the laser beam will treat each point in a larger surface of the cornea precisely according to a unique treatment plan. The benefits of Custom LASIK Greater opportunity of achieving 20/20 vision Greater opportunity of achieving better than 20/20 vision Reduced opportunity for night vision and glare problems Our team The laser itself Where older lasers produce a broad, square-shaped beam, ours has a more rounded, sharply-focused profile measuring less than 1mm across. This allows us to remove the minutest amounts of corneal tissue with greater accuracy, resulting in a more stable cornea - essential to sharper vision. In addition to this extraordinary technology you need, of course, extraordinarily skilled people to use it, and Phiroze Dastoor has just the team. We v also have a dedicated team of support staff, who assist our surgical team and look after our patients throughout every stage of the procedure. FAX:

5 Our Treatment The consultation Not every eye is suitable for laser treatment. It might surprise you to know that we turn down about half the people who come to us. Phiroze Dastoor consultants will examine your eyes using equipment as unique as the Wavefront technology itself. To assist them, please do not wear soft contact lenses for a week and rigid ones for two weeks beforehand. Lenses distort the cornea and might influence the outcome of the treatment. If you have any old prescriptions for lenses or glasses (or details of any eye treatment you have had in the past), please bring them along: if we can see how your eyes have altered over time, we can best determine how to treat them. Dilatation of the pupils may temporarily blur the vision of some people for a few hours. Therefore, we advise that you make arrangements for someone else to drive you back home. On the day of the procedure please arrange to have someone with you. Please do not wear perfumes, make-up, gels or sprays either, as fine vapours can interfere with the path of the laser beam. If you have any anxieties whatsoever about your treatment, our support staff will be happy to assist you. Our aim is to make you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Once the laser has been calibrated, your eyelids are held open and your eyes anaesthetised with drops. Then, using a precision device called a microkeratome, the surgeon creates a micro-thin flap on the surface of the cornea.the flap is gently lifted to one side, the bed of the cornea (the stroma) is exposed and the laser reshapes this surface to re-focus the eye. After seconds, the flap is repositioned. The flap holds itself naturally in place, but we do recommend you wear protective glasses or the shield we provide you with to prevent you from rubbing your eyes for a few days. After resting for a short while in our waiting area, we will examine your eyes again before you leave. After the procedure The procedure Before you go home, our staff will give you personalised after-care instructions and eye drops.your vision may be blurred for a few hours so please ensure that there is somebody else to take you home. After the procedure for a short while you will experience watering of the eyes and feel as if there is something "stuck in your eye". This is quite natural, but on no account must you rub them. Your follow-up care After your surgery, we will see you several times again over the next year, and examine your eyes using the same equipment as before.this way, we can properly monitor the success of your treatment. INVEST IN YOUR VISUAL FUTURE TELEPHONE:

6 Looking Ahead What can you do after the procedure? Most people can return to work within 24 hours after the procedure. However, there are a few other activities that need to be carried out with due care: Showering - The next day with your eyes closed Driving - When you are comfortable with your new vision, and if it meets driving standards Heavy exercise - After one to two weeks depending on how comfortable your eyes feel Swimming - After two weeks with goggles, or six weeks without them Eye make-up - Mascara after four weeks, other make-up after two days Repeat procedure Very, very occasionally some eyes do not respond fully to laser treatment, and we may recommend that you go through the procedure again.this time, though, the treatment is simpler, as it just involves lifting the flap and re-applying the laser. Some common questions How successful is laser vision correction at Phiroze Dastoor? Our goal and our commitment to you is to get you to a level of 6/12 (20/40) or better, enough to function without glasses, to watch TV, play sport and take up occupations where good vision is essential. In fact, after treatment over 95% of people can drive without glasses. Our consultants will discuss with you at the time of your consultation what can be achieved in your individual case. Does it hurt? No. LASIK is virtually painless.you may experience some mild to moderate discomfort and watering of the eyes for a few hours after treatment.this varies from person to person and has been likened to the sensation of having worn contact lenses too long. Do the results last? The effects of LASIK are permanent and they do not wear off. But it is important to realise that a person's eye can still change internally.that is why many surgeons recommend having the procedure done after the major eye changes have occurred in one's life.your surgeon can review the changes you have had and help you make a decision whether or not LASIK is appropriate for you. FAX:

7 What happens when I get older? Natural changes occur in every eye.as we reach our mid 40 s, the fine focusing mechanism of the lens within our eyes does not function as well as when we were younger. Therefore, it is most likely that you will require glasses for reading fine print when you reach your mid 40 s. It is because this age-related change affects the lens in our eye and not the cornea that LASIK cannot treat this change. If I get LASIK done and my vision changes later in life, can it be redone? In most cases, an enhancement may be a solution to vision changes later in life.your eye care specialist will examine your eyes and determine whether an enhancement can be performed. What are the long-term side effects? Laser eye surgery has been performed for more than 10 years and no complications have been documented that have not been encountered in the first year of follow-up. Minor complications such as haziness, delayed healing and night time glare have been reported although these are very few and far between, and in almost all cases, can be treated. Is the procedure covered by health insurance? Most health insurance companies do not cover LASIK. How long before I can see well? Visual rehabilitation after LASIK is rapid. Most people achieve good vision the day after surgery and find that their eyes feel fairly normal 24 hours later. However, your sight may improve even further, and the very best vision can still take two to three weeks. What Next? Call us on and arrange to see one of Phiroze Dastoor's consultants. Let us help you to see beyond your limits. INVEST IN YOUR VISUAL FUTURE TELEPHONE:

8 PHIROZE M. DASTOOR & CO. 53, S. V. Road, Santacruz (W), Mumbai Tel: Fax :