Refractive surgery:

चश्मा हटाने के लिए आंख ऑपरेशन कौनसा बेहतर है?

In this video SimpliHealth expert Ophthalmologist Dr. Anin Sethi will talk about Refractive surgery (चश्मा हटाने की कौन सी तकनीक है ?) It is often asked whether it is possible to get rid of glasses permanently. The answer to which is, yes, it is possible.  There are a number of surgeries and operations available that make it possible. 

Another frequently asked question is, which is the best surgery to get rid of glasses?(चश्मा हटाने की कौन सी तकनीक है)  With the technological advancements, there are two types of refractive surgeries that can be done. 

1. Lens-based operation 
2. Laser-based operation 

Laser-based operation(जानिए आँखों की लेज़र सर्जरी के बारे में) 

The laser-based operations are most opted for. The major types in this are LASIK and SMILE. The LASIK further has some sub-types which we would be discussing further. 

There is nothing like the best surgery for this. All the surgeries are sure to successfully correct the vision and help get rid of glasses. Taking into consideration certain parameters, we decide which surgery would best suit the patient’s eyes. 

Refractive surgery: Smile Laser surgery

The latest technology is SMILE. This is a flapless procedure. There is no need to make a flap. The inner part of the pupil is cut and removed with the help of a laser. In this, the strength of the cornea is maintained. 

Refractive surgery: Lasik surgery

LASIK is a flap-based procedure. In this a flap is made in the cornea, it is peeled and flipped and then the required adjustments are made. The spectacle power is integrated inside the eye and there is no need to wear corrective glasses. And because of these flap procedures, the eye can become weaker than normal. There is a risk of complications if the eye gets hurt. But it is not the case for everyone. 

For patients whose cornea is thin, the thickness of their pupil is less, for them we suggest flap-less procedures like SMILE. Or in some cases, we suggest a procedure called PRK. 

So we cannot say which is the best procedure as it depends on the patient’s condition. If we had to say then SMILE is supposed to be a better option. This is because the strength of the eye and the cornea are not harmed. 

Lens-based eye operation

The other category of refractive surgery is Lense based surgeries, ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens), or IPCL, which is the Indian variant of ICL. In some cases, the number of the eye is very high eg. -14, -15, or -20. In these cases, LASIK and SMILE are not possible. Then in such cases, ICL is the best procedure. 

So this is how the choice of the best procedure varies from patient to patient, and also on the experience your ophthalmologist has. The surgical decision is taken after examining the patient. 

Are these eye surgeries painful ?

These surgeries are not at all painful, the maximum time these surgical procedures take is 10-15 mins for one eye. May it be any procedure, LASIK, SMILE, lens-based, they all take up to 10-15 mins on each eye. 

Anesthetic eye drops are used, so there are no injections. There is no pain during the surgery. The patient may feel a bit uncomfortable like an itching or pricking sensation after the surgery because of the flap. Even in SMILE, there is a small cut made.

Day 1 after the surgery can be a little uncomfortable. But the next morning it gets better. So these procedures are not painful. 

Another question that patients come to us with is, Can we watch TV, or use laptops and phones after LASIK ? 

After the LASIK surgery, the patient can use their electronic devices. The patient has to be careful on the day of the operation, as there is a little discomfort, a little watering, and redness. The patient can use the laptop or phone, watch TV or read a book the day after the surgery. 

But they should understand not to overdo it. In the 3-4 days the eye adapts and adjusts and the person can feel dryness and itching. Therefore limited use of electronic gadgets is suggested. After 3-4 days they can go back to their normal routine. 

Contoura LASIK corrective surgery 

There is a new technology that the patients ask about, i.e. Contoura  Vision od Contoura LASIK. This is a conventional LASIK procedure. The side effects of the LASIK like color halos, or difficulty in driving at night, are not there in the Contoura vision. In Contoura vision, the surface of the cornea is analyzed very closely. And during the LASIK the other irregularities of the cornea are also corrected. So this procedure has the potential to give better results than the 6×6 vision. 

Basically, this procedure is like LASIK. The data is taken from another machine. This is a laser-guided topographic. The surface is well mapped and then the irregularities are corrected. So there are chances of having one point above the 6×6 vision. So Contoura vision is the latest version of LASIK.