PlusOnline answers 8 questions about laser eye surgery. Do you get rid of your glasses or contact lenses?
Who is laser eye surgery for?
For people who are short-sighted or far-sighted and want to get rid of their glasses or contact lenses. It is suitable for a deviation between +4 and -10 diopters and the nearsightedness or farsightedness must have been the same for a year. The minimum age is 18 years.
Who would rather not?
Nearsightedness or farsightedness cannot be lasered in people with cataracts, with advanced glaucoma, with an irregular cornea or with keratoconus (a rare abnormality of the cornea). In people with diabetes, allergies to the eyes and autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatism), the ophthalmologist examines on a case-by-case basis whether laser treatment is allowed. In people with a deviation stronger than -10 or +4 it is better to implant an artificial lens instead of laser.
What happens during laser treatment?
During laser treatment, the ophthalmologist works on the cornea of the eye with an extremely thin and focused beam of light (the laser). In the case of nearsighted (minus lenses), the cornea is too convex and the laser makes it flatter. In the case of farsighted people (plus lenses), the cornea is made more convex. The three most common methods are: Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK), Laser In-situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) and Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis (LASEK). With the PRK method, a layer of the cornea is first ‘planed off’ and then the cornea is lasered. In the other methods, a layer of cornea is first cut loose (LASIK) or soaked off (LASEK) and removed as a flap. Under the flap, the ophthalmologist lasers the cornea.
What are the results?
At 90 to 95 percent, the correction is so good that the deviation afterwards lies between -1 and +1 diopters. And then you can see well without glasses. If the result is less good, the eye can be lasered again. This is often free of charge.
How safe is it?
With all the aforementioned methods, your vision may deteriorate slightly in the first days to weeks after the procedure. In addition, after the PRK method, a haze occurs at about 3 percent. Sometimes you see less sharp. This usually recovers within a year. With the LASIK and LASEK method, complications arise in almost 1 percent, with the flap in particular causing problems. There may be a fold in it, the flap comes loose or an inflammation develops underneath. This is usually treatable, but sometimes the patient’s vision continues to deteriorate. Occasionally, seeing in the dark becomes more difficult, among other things because of a light circle (halo) around points of light. They have fifteen years of experience with lasers, so the effects after more than fifteen years are not yet known.
Can you combine it with reading glasses or contact lenses?
Anyone who has myopia corrected will not be able to stop the development of presbyopia and will therefore still need reading glasses.
Sometimes people choose to see well in the distance with one eye and read well with the other. About half of the people can learn this. After laser treatment it is possible to wear contact lenses.
Where can you go for laser eye surgery?
In the Netherlands almost forty treatment centers offer laser eye surgery. Some centers are linked to hospitals, others are independent. The Dutch Ophthalmic Society and NGCR has a list of refractive surgeons who meet quality requirements. View on www.ooglaseradvies.org with Registered Surgeons.
What are the costs?
The treatment of one eye costs in the Netherlands between €1550 and €2400. This is only exceptionally covered by the health insurance. In foreign clinics, for example in Belgium, it can be cheaper, from around € 1200.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine