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Refractive surgery: For whom is it indicated?
In people with refractive defects such as myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism who want to be less dependent on contact lenses or glasses. There are various laser techniques, the most commonly used at present, LASIK, with a rapid recovery and the PRK indicated for patients with thin corneas or low prescription, these two techniques are usually the most frequent.
What does it depend on to indicate one technique or the other?
It is the ophthalmologist who will determine the possibility of performing laser refractive surgery, as not all patients are candidates for it, as well as the choice of one technique or another, which will be determined by factors such as the patient's age, profession, systemic pathologies, eye characteristics and personal preferences, among others.
It is advisable to have a stable prescription for one to three years or at least have a similar prescription before undergoing surgery. However, it should be taken into account that in the long term, after surgery, the prescription may rise again, although it would start progressively.
What tests are performed?
A complete preoperative study with visual acuity, refraction, ocular pressure, pupillometry, biomicroscopy, fundus and corneal topography must be performed in order to correctly indicate surgery.
For this consultation, it is recommended that the patient comes to the appointment without wearing contact lenses, at least one week before the check-up and without driving, as drops will be instilled to dilate the pupil.
What is Refractive surgery like?
It is an outpatient procedure, local anaesthesia is used in drops and requires the collaboration of the patient, who usually comes out with good vision if it is LASIK or blurred and somewhat more uncomfortable if it is PRK, which takes a little longer to stabilise vision, approximately one month. This is the fundamental difference between the two techniques, although PRK is indicated for thin corneas or patients in whom laser can be used but the LASIK technique cannot be used due to the characteristics of the cornea. It is the surgeon who decides which technique to use. In both techniques, rest and low light conditions are recommended due to the initial discomfort.
As complications we have those inherent to any surgery, although they are infrequent, and the most typical of these techniques is ocular dryness and nocturnal halos which tend to disappear in a few months when the body becomes accustomed to the new state. A pre-surgical study is also important, as when the curvature and thickness of the cornea are modified there are specific risks which must be assessed, hence the importance of corneal topography before and after the surgeries.
At Doctor Nebro Clinic we have the means and experience to indicate the possibility of refractive surgery depending on each patient, as it is something that must be personalised for each person, as mentioned above.