Who do we help?
Laser eye surgery is a procedure used to treat shortsightedness, longsightedness, astigmatism, and most recently, the need for reading glasses (presbyopia).
- Laser eye surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the world
- Over 35 million procedures have been performed since it was first introduced in 1987
- Laser eye surgery offers minimal discomfort and fast recovery time, with most patients able to resume normal activities within 24 hours
Who is suitable for laser eye surgery?
At our laser eye surgery clinic in London; we only turn away 2% of the patients that come to us. Why? The London Vision Clinic is able to treat prescriptions that are higher than those commonly treatable with laser eye surgery in other clinics. These same protocols are planned for the laser eye surgery service at the Tilganga Eye Hospital.
Our ability to treat high prescriptions is due to our:
- exceedingly rigorous testing procedures,
- unique assessment technology only available to us,
- taking the time to test the patient’s eyesight in extreme conditions,
- ability to program individualised treatments,
- only using the services of expert, full-time laser eye surgeons, and
- extremely thorough aftercare
About laser eye surgery
Before the laser eye surgery procedure
First, patients must choose a laser eye surgery specialist. To ensure they are a good candidate for laser eye surgery, the clinic they choose will perform an initial assessment to determine if they are suitable. At the consultation, the optometrist examines their eyes, provides them with an expectation of the results they can achieve, and discusses any risks they need to be aware of so they can consider their options to proceed.
During the laser eye surgery procedure
LASIK does not require a hospital stay. The patient walks in to the clinic, has the procedure, and walks out again. It only takes about 20 minutes, and the patient is awake the entire time. One eye is operated on at a time, with both being treated in the same session.
The surgeon will first numb the patient’s eyes with drops (no injections). An eye flap (a thin layer of the cornea) is created with a laser. This flap is then lifted like a hinged door and the exposed eye surface is reshaped using another laser. Then, the surgeon uses the laser to reshape the cornea, decreasing or eliminating shortsightedness, longsightedness, astigmatism and/or presbyopia. After the laser is finished, the surgeon replaces the flap to its original position. This flap adheres and heals quickly, without stitches.
After the procedure is finished, the patient will rest for a while. Their surgeon may then prescribe a series of drops and medications to ensure they are comfortable and safe immediately after the procedure.
After the laser eye surgery procedure
Short-term, patients can expect to see clearly and resume normal activities the day after their procedure. Some find that their vision improves even more over the next few days or weeks. The clinic will invite the patient to return for aftercare appointments 3-4 weeks after their procedure, 3 months after, and then again after 12 months.