What Is Refractive Surgery?
What Is Refractive Surgery?
If you have a refractive error, such as myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, refractive surgery is a method for enhancing your vision and reducing your dependence on glasses.
There are 2 approaches to refractive surgery:
- Corneal procedures – LASIK, Femto-LASIK, PRK
- Lens procedure – Phakic IOL, Refractive lens exchange
LASIK is one of the most commonly performed procedures worldwide, with excellent results and safety margins. It corrects errors from -8 to +3. For higher errors, it is not suitable and a lens based procedure is advisable. Newer advancement is the FEMTOLASIK in which the corneal flap is made with femtolaser instead of a microkeratome.
Refractive surgery might be a good option for you if you:
- Want to reduce your dependence on glasses or contact lenses.
- Are free of eye disease.
- Understand that you could still need glasses or contacts after the procedure to achieve your best vision.
- Accept the inherent risks and potential side effects of the procedure.
- Have an appropriate refractive error.