To many who use glasses and contact lenses to see well, LASIK surgery is a familiar term as it is one of the most common refractive surgery procedures opted for by those who no longer want to use glasses and contact lenses. LASIK surgery has the following features:
- Introduced in the 1990s with a long history of efficacy in terms of accuracy, safety and predictability.
- Can correct a wide range of refractive errors.
- A low-risk eye procedure with high success rates.
- Fast vision recovery.
- Low level of discomfort.
The LASIK procedure
There are various brands of laser machines on the market. At Lang Eye Centre, we adopt the IntraLase femtosecond (FS) laser and the VISX excimer laser for LASIK surgery. They are both US FDA-approved technologies. There are 2 main steps in LASIK surgery:
Step 1:
LASIK flap creation – Back in the days, LASIK surgeons created a flap with a microkeratome, a hand-held motorised blade. This step has since evolved with improvements in technology. The current method of flap creation is with a femtosecond (FS) laser, which is 100% blade-free. The laser beam is applied beneath the cornea, and thereafter, a layer of microscopic bubbles connects with one another, resulting in the creation of a corneal flap. Thereafter, the LASIK surgeon folds the flap backwards in preparation for the 2nd step.
Step 2:
Reshape the cornea – The VISX excimer laser is applied to the cornea. During this process, corneal tissue is removed. The end result is such that the cornea is reshaped to help focus light onto the retina, enabling one to see images both near and far well. For those with myopia, light is focused in front of the retina, causing one to need glasses to see far well.
There are mainly 2 main types of LASIK surgery – Standard and Wavefront-guided:
1.) The VISX Standard LASIK
This mode of treatment aims to provide a good quality of vision by correcting refractive errors, which include myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism in increments of 0.25D, just like most glasses and contact lenses. It is a one-size-fits-all laser treatment.
2.) The VISX Wavefront-guided LASIK
This is a customised treatment that aims to provide a better quality of day and night vision as it corrects refractive errors in finer increments of 0.01D. There is a 3rd step for this laser procedure. Prior to surgery, an eye test, the iDesign Advanced WaveScan test, is performed. This test analyses the whole cornea surface’s irregularities, generates a 3D map (WaveScan) of the eye’s unique imperfections and records 5 times more information and 25 times more accuracy than Standard LASIK.
The iDesign Advanced WaveScan is able to identify even the smallest of corneal irregularities with Fourier analysis, which uses trigonometric functions, while most other laser systems, on the other hand, use Zernike Polynomials, which depend on a mathematical modelling system.
At the same time, the VISX Wavefront-guided LASIK is also able to correct unique imperfections of the eye (higher-order aberrations) that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or Standard LASIK surgery with the iDesign Advanced WaveScan technology.
Post-LASIK surgery care and advice
1. It is normal to experience discomfort, irritation, stinging and excessive tearing in the eye on surgery day. The eye may be sensitive to light, feel dry and scratchy for up to 1 week.
2. For some, the vision may be hazy or blurry for 1 to 2 weeks, especially for near reading. Vision may also fluctuate daily in terms of clarity, but will improve gradually.
3. Transparent eye shield
- Must wear eye shield for the first 24 hours, and continue to instil eyedrops as instructed.
- Wear an eye shield to sleep the first 5 to 7 nights to prevent rubbing of the eyes.
4. May use a pair of sunglasses if you find the lights glaring. It is otherwise not compulsory to use them.
5. DON’Ts
- Do not wash your hair or face for the first 24 hours after surgery. You can do so thereafter; ensure your eyes are closed to prevent water or soap from entering your eyes.
- Do not apply eye makeup or eye products for the first 1 week.
- Do not rub your eyes for the first 2 weeks.
- Do not engage in water or contact sports for the first 1 month.
6. DOs
- Can travel by plane 2 days later.
- Can resume light exercises such as jogging or gym 3 days later.
- Can have facials 1 week later, but avoid the eye area for 1 month.
- Can have eyelash extensions 1 month later.
- Can use coloured contact lenses 3 months later.
Long-term recovery
Most people will resume normal everyday life the very next day after surgery. The vision usually will take about 3 months to stabilise, with fluctuation in terms of clarity from day to day, with some needing more time to stabilise depending on the individual’s condition or recovery. There is no extra precaution to take 1 month after surgery; you can proceed with ALL activities, including bungee jumping, contact sports, scuba diving, etc.
Potential side effects and complications
As with all surgeries, LASIK surgery is not one without possible side effects and complications:
Most will experience some degree of dry eye for all forms of laser vision correction procedures, including LASIK surgery. The good news is that this side effect is temporary for the vast majority of people and will usually wear off with time.
Another common side effect is seeing haloes and starbursts at night. This phenomenon, too, is temporary and will usually wear off with time.
Flap complications (for eg incomplete flap creation) are uncommon these days with the IntraLase FS system:
- Smoother and safer blade-free flap creation compared to the microkeratome blade-cut flap.
- LASIK surgeons are able to customise flaps (diameter, depth, edge angle and morphology) for every eye, aiming for optimal visual results.
Are you considering LASIK surgery?
If you feel it is time to effect a change in your quality of life and would like to live more freely with more convenience, please contact Lang Eye Centre at +65 6684 1000 or [email protected] to schedule a pre-LASIK evaluation to ascertain your suitability and understand more about the benefits of LASIK surgery.
