Laser vision correction is an advanced area of modern ophthalmology. Advances in the field of laser vision correction allow today once and for all to solve the problem of poor vision for millions of people with various forms of refractive error. Over the last 10 years, around 5 million vision correction operations have been performed worldwide with the help of an excimer laser.
Advantages of laser vision correction over other methods
A radical solution to the problem of poor vision: after the operation, you see as a person with normal vision sees, you no longer need any objects, products or procedures in order to see well.
Independence from glasses: You are no longer dependent on glasses that constantly break, sweat, restrict vision, press on the bridge of the nose and interfere with close communication with members of the opposite sex.
Independence from contact lenses: you no longer depend on contact lenses, which you need to constantly remember, take off, put on and care for, spending quite a lot of money on it. You are not dependent on lenses that cause allergies, dry eyes, occasional inflammation, making your eyes permanently red like a rabbit’s.
Special indications for laser vision correction
Professional indications: activities associated with instant response (military, police, firefighters, etc.) or work in an area with an aggressive environment (dust, smoke, gas) where the use of glasses or contact lenses is not acceptable.
Medical indications: oddsight, when one eye sees well, and the other has refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism). Under these conditions, patients use a healthy eye, and the other, due to lack of correction, becomes amblyopic).
Limitations to laser vision correction
- age up to 18 years (this is due to the need for the complete formation of the eyeball);
- pregnancy and the entire period of breastfeeding (until the restoration of hormonal levels).
Contraindications for laser vision correction
Absolute contraindications
General:
- autoimmune diseases (collagenosis, arthritis);
- primary and secondary immunodeficiency states;
- systemic diseases affecting the healing process.
From the side of the eyes:
- single eye;
- corneal thickness less than 450(440) µm;
- glaucoma;
- keratoconus with thinning of the cornea;
- progressive myopia;
- cataract, regardless of stage of development
- operated retinal detachment;
- herpes simplex и herpes zoster.
Relative contraindications
General:
- diabetes;
- the presence of a pacemaker in the patient;
- pregnancy and in the postpartum period of feeding the baby (hormonal changes);
- endogenous psychoses.
From the side of the eyes:
- acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the anterior and posterior parts of the eye, lacrimal apparatus;
- penetrating scars of the cornea (in the optical zone);
- pronounced changes in the fundus of the eye.
There are conditions in which laser vision correction surgery should be postponed:
retinal changes that require prophylactic laser photocoagulation.