Laser correction is a modern way to solve the problems of myopia and hyperopia. The procedure is an alternative for people who do not want to connect their lives with glasses and lenses.
Correction is expensive, so some patients are forced to save it, saving up money. In addition, people are afraid to go for surgery. They do not know what consequences await them and the timing of the restoration of vision after laser correction, they do not want to lose their ability to work for a long time.
Why do patients postpone laser correction?
If we compare the price of the procedure and the cost of contact lenses for a year, then the benefit shifts towards surgical intervention. But people with visual impairments have other fears that prevent them from deciding on drastic measures:
- Thoughts that vision will not be restored to the end. Doctors before the appointment of each operation diagnose the condition of the patient’s visual apparatus. Myopia correction is not prescribed for indicators above -15 diopters, and farsightedness is above +5. Violations of a high degree are subjected to surgical intervention, for example, implantation of a phakic lens.
- The patient is afraid that vision will not recover for long. Indeed, if you constantly expose your eyes to a lot of stress, read in darkened rooms and in an uncomfortable position, spend a day at the computer, your eyesight can go bad again. But the experience gained will teach a person to be more careful with his eyes.
- Fear of long vision recovery after laser correction. People mistakenly imagine that after the procedure they will have to undergo a long course of rehabilitation, dressings and therapy. In fact, the eyes will regain their visual acuity within 2-24 hours after the intervention. A little more time will be needed for the rehabilitation period.
Preparation for surgery
Laser vision correction is not the most difficult eye operation, but it requires attentiveness, a steady hand and excellent knowledge from the doctor. Before the appointment of the procedure, a medical professional will examine the patient for contraindications. These operations are not prescribed to minors, pregnant women, women during lactation, people suffering from cancer, diabetes mellitus, or other eye diseases.
There are several treatment methods. Already at the first appointment, the doctor will select the most acceptable. The timing of vision recovery after laser correction depends on the chosen technique. As with any operation, before correcting vision, you need to undergo fluorography, and take blood and urine tests. Also, the patient needs to draw up and sign a consent to an operation in the selected clinic.
Tips and tricks before the procedure
Preparations are required from the patient. There is a list of recommendations and prescriptions that will help to conduct the event comfortably, without unnecessary stress.
- The day before surgery, you can not drink alcohol.
- On the day of the procedure, it is not recommended to apply makeup, use perfumes and lotions, varnishes, aerosol deodorants.
- Doctors advise to stop using contact lenses 1-2 weeks before correction.
- For surgery, it is advisable to wear breathable clothing with a wide collar.
- In the hospital, the patient needs to take eye drops, if they have already been prescribed by an optometrist, and sunglasses. Immediately after the manipulation, the eyes will be very susceptible to bright light.
- It is recommended to take an accompanying person with you, since for some time after the restoration of vision with laser correction, the patient will experience fog before his eyes.
Operation
The procedure itself takes 10-15 minutes, and the time of direct exposure is about a minute. It is painless and is performed under local anesthesia in the form of instillation of drops. After anesthesia, the eye is fixed with an expander so that the patient does not accidentally blink. With the help of a laser, the doctor creates a new shape of the cornea, removing excess tissue.
Recovery period
The initial recovery of vision after laser correction surgery takes up to 2 hours, it is advisable to spend this time in the clinic under the supervision of a specialist. After the patient is ready to return home, theoretically he can drive a vehicle, but discomfort, burning, fog in his eyes is possible. Therefore, in practice, driving after correction is not recommended.
Complete restoration of vision after laser correction of Femto-LASIK and LASIK lasts 24 hours. More traumatic LASEK technique. After it, recovery is 3-5 days. All indicators are individual, depending on the type of correction, the state of the organs of vision. The average complete healing is 1-3 months.
Types of laser correction techniques and timing
There are several types of laser operations.
- Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is the first and oldest technique for correcting myopia and hyperopia. The terms of vision restoration after laser correction of this kind are up to 4 days, and rehabilitation is 3-4 weeks. A protective lens is used to shorten the period. This method is used only if other methods are contraindicated.
- LASEC is a more modern modification of PRK, its advantages are that it allows you to operate both eyes in one procedure, and is also suitable for patients with a thin cornea. Recovery times are less than keratectomy, up to 3 days
- LASIK is the most popular procedure at this time. Numerous positive reviews about the restoration of vision after laser correction with this technique confirm that visual acuity is restored within a few hours after the manipulations. The peculiarity of this operation is that the laser leaves the surface layers of the cornea intact, and evaporates only the middle layers of the tissue. To do this, the upper flap is cut off and bent to the side, and after the action is returned to the place where the epithelium is restored independently.
- Femto-LASIK- differs from the usual LASIK technique in the process of corneal flap formation. A femtolaser is used to cut it.
Recommendations after surgery
So that the operated person can quickly begin normal life and get rid of discomfort in the eyes, he should follow the doctor's prescription. Rehabilitation of the organs of vision, on average, takes one week. The patient should follow these recommendations:
- Within 3 days after the correction, it is not recommended to sleep on the stomach and side, this will protect the visual organ from possible damage.
- Do not touch your eyes with your hands or other foreign objects, rub them.
- After the operation, 3-4 days it is not recommended to wash your hair, or make sure that the shampoo does not get into the eyes. You should wash yourself gently, avoiding the area around the eyes.
- During the recovery period after laser vision correction, alcohol refusal is mandatory. It can contribute to dehydration of the surface of the cornea.
- The patient is required to temporarily not smoke and avoid smoky places.
- It is not recommended to be in the sun, and if necessary always use sunglasses while the eyes are prone to photophobia.
- In order to prevent infection, postpone visits to the pool, sauna, bathhouse.
- You can not engage in active and traumatic sports, lifting and moving goods.
- The eyes and brain need to adapt to new visual information. The first 2 months you don’t need to overload your eyes with reading and working at the computer, you must take breaks.
- Women should refrain from using makeup, spraying perfumes and varnishes near the eyes, eyelash extensions.
Medical observation
During the recovery period after laser correction, the patient needs to visit the ophthalmologist’s office several times.
The day after the procedure, the operated person should come for an examination. If necessary, he will be assigned several more eye tests.
To protect the eyes from infection, a health worker prescribes drops. They need to be instilled strictly according to the instructions, increasing the dose is not allowed. When instilling, it is necessary to ensure that the nose of the bubble does not come into contact with any surfaces, including the cornea of the eye.
After the procedure according to the LASEC technique, a bandage lens is applied to the operated eye, its function is to protect the cornea from contact with the external environment and to reduce pain. After 4 days, the lens is removed in the clinic.
If the patient experiences pain and burning sensation in the first three days, he may take pain medication. If the pain does not subside, he is advised to consult a specialist.
Possible complications
Despite the fact that only 2% of all laser corrections performed are accompanied by complications, the probability of their formation cannot be discounted. The following complications may occur:
- Swelling and redness of the mucous membranes of the eyes.
- Infectious inflammation.
- Allergy to the drugs used. The patient must inform before the procedure which medications he has an allergic reaction to.
- Retinal detachment.
Reviews
Doctors promise good results immediately after 2-3 hours after the procedure. But this does not always happen. Patients report that in some cases, recovery takes longer and is accompanied by unpleasant physical sensations.
Patients call the following main features of laser vision correction:
- The operation lasts no more than 10 minutes.
- There is no pain during the procedure.
- Significantly improved or completely restored vision.
Among the shortcomings, the following are most often noted in the reviews:
- The high cost of surgery and the drugs that you want to use after it. For some people, the recovery period takes many months, during which it is necessary to drip eye preparations every day.
- Visual impairment a few days after surgery (not all, but most patients who left reviews).
- Adverse Reactions They can manifest in soreness, swelling of the eyelids, frequent conjunctivitis.
In case of painful sensations lasting longer than the recovery period, redness and constant lacrimation, you should contact an ophthalmologist-surgeon in the same clinic where the operation was performed. The doctor conducting the treatment knows the entire medical history and will be able to prescribe the correct therapy.