Four days ago I signed up for LASIK eye surgery (‘laser eye surgery’). I am moderately shortsighted in both eyes (about -4.5 diopters), with moderate astigmatism.
For a long time, I was under the impression that it was not possible to correct my vision using LASIK. Furthermore, I had always been interested in natural vision remedies, and so put off investigating. Recently, I met an uncle I hadn’t seen in some years, who had had the procedure and raved about it. I did some research online, and shortly thereafter decided to sign up.
There are two principle factors that determine the outcome of your procedure. They are, the laser used, and the surgeon.
The Lasers
There are 3 principle excimer lasers on the market that are available in London. They are:
- The VISX Star S4 (as used by Optical Express)
- Bausch & Lomb Zypotix 100 (as used by Ultralase)
- Alcon Alegretto Wave 400 (Accuvision, Focus Vision Clinics).
All of them are wavefront assisted (don’t ever go for a procedure that isn’t). The conclusion I came to is this. For the purposes of text-book case like myself, there is little difference between them. Performance is equivalent. If you have a very strong prescription, or have thin corneas, the laser is likely to make more of a difference, and you should research what is appropriate for you.
Choosing a Surgeon
The surgeon you choose will be instrumental in assessing what treatment you should have or whether you are suitable, and determining the likely risks that will apply to you specifically. For example, those with thinner corneas are more likely to have dry eye problems afterwards. A good surgeon can minimise the risk of complications, and assist you best should you have any. The best surgeons have performed in excess of 10,000 procedures. This is enough for them to have seen almost every eye prescription and every complication that can occur.
Of course, make sure you always ask lots of questions and do you research. Never sign up without at least visiting a few.
