Statistics show that seventy-five per cent of people require vision correction to some degree. There are people born with poor vision. Other people suffer the effects of age, loss of focus flexibility and then there is the rise of time people spend staring at screens. People who suffer from blurry vision usually opt to buy prescription glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision problems.
You can get several variations of laser refractive surgery. The best known and most commonly performed is LASIK. Getting laser surgery can correct extremely blurred vision. Usually, blurred vision is corrected by bending light rays with glasses or contact lenses. Blurred vision can be caused by one of these three conditions:
- Nearsightedness (myopia) is when you see nearby objects.
- Farsightedness (hyperopia) is when you can see far objects. However, nearby objects are blurry.
- Astigmatism causes overall blurry vision disrupting the focus of near and distant vision.
Visiting any eye specialist clinic in Singapore will tell you which kind you have. Regular visits will also help control or maintain your eye condition with corrective lenses. However, sometimes the progression is just too fast.
What Happens When You Get LASIK
When you visit an eye specialist at a Singapore clinic for a LASIK procedure, they will assess detailed measurements and the overall health of your eye. Eye numbing drops are administered as you comfortably lie on an operating table. The doctor will use a type of cutting laser to alter the curvature of your cornea. A tiny amount of corneal tissue is taken out with each pulse of the laser beam.
Some eye doctors in Singapore would raise a flap they created in the cornea before reshaping it. There are various techniques with their advantages and disadvantages.
LASIK is Not the Only Choice
Individual eye surgeons specialize in specific types of laser eye procedures. There are generally minor differences among them. However, none are better than any others. You may consider the following depending on your preference or circumstance:
- Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK). The most commonly performed eye laser surgery now is LASIK. It involves creating a partial-thickness corneal flap and using an excimer laser to ablate the bed of the cornea. You can experience minimal discomfort after surgery. Vision recovery usually takes 1 to 2 days.
- Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). Rather than forming a flap, the top surface (epithelium) is scraped away with PRK. It takes three or four days to heal. You may experience moderate pain and blurred vision in the short term.
- Laser-Assisted Subepithelial Keratectomy (LASEK). LASEK is similar to LASIK surgery. However, a flap made of a part of your cornea is fabricated by using a microkeratome. This procedure allows the surgeon to remove less of the cornea. It is a good option for people who have thin corneas.
- Epithelial Laser-assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (epi-LASIK). This procedure and LASEK are similar. Your surgeon separates the epithelium from the middle part of the cornea (stroma) with a mechanized blunt blade device (epikeratome). The doctor will then reshape the cornea with a laser.
- Small-incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE). It is a newer type of refractive surgery. The doctor reshapes the cornea with a laser to make a lens-shaped bit of tissue (lenticule) below the cornea surface. A small incision allows the doctor to take out the lenticule after reshaping the cornea.
- Intraocular Lenses. You can get corrective lenses surgically inserted in your eye. This surgery is part of cataract surgery. It is also an alternative to LASIK for older adults who may need cataract surgery in the future. Younger people can also opt for this if they have high degrees of nearsightedness that cannot be treated with corrective lenses. But these are not a routine option for most people.
- Bioptics combine one or more techniques to treat nearsightedness or farsightedness.
What Should You Expect?
If you undergo LASIK surgery, you can come out having good to an excellent vision for many years or decades. You will be able to play sports and go about your usual routine without having to worry about your glasses or contact lenses. However, you might still need to wear glasses as you get older.
Long-term results are often not available or studied. People being overall satisfied after surgery may be part of the reason. Most of them don’t feel the need for repeat examinations resulting in follow-up data not being collected.
LASIK is a procedure that has been refined over time since techniques and technology are continually changing. It makes concluding data reported difficult. Vision is measured under optimal testing conditions even when postoperative follow-up is performed. So, your eyesight in various conditions may not be as good as published reports suggest.
Keep in mind, eye refraction may slowly worsen over time. Your vision may also not be as good as it immediately was after surgery.
How Do You Choose an Eye Surgeon?
Most do not have firsthand knowledge about LASIK. One good way to start is by talking to an eye doctor from a reputable Singapore eye clinic. Working with an eye professional you trust and know will make the process more comfortable.
A team will probably be working with your eye surgeon to help with your initial evaluation and measurements. However, it is your eye surgeon who takes the ultimate responsibility for determining whether LASIK is the right choice for you. Your doctor will be the one who confirms the measurements to guide and perform the procedure, as well as the one who provides post-operative care.
Key Takeaways
Communicate your questions and concerns to your doctor. They will also help explain the benefits you can get from getting a LASIK procedure. Your eye surgeon can also help you understand the limitations of the surgery. You can visit Nova Eye Centre, a trusted eye clinic in Singapore. They will help you take care of any eye problem you may have.
