If you lead an active life, your glasses might often get knocked out. If they break, OH, THE MISERY of investing in a brand new pair! On the other hand, there are just TOO MANY rules about contact lenses. You can’t sleep with them, you have to wash your hands every time you handle them, they get stuck in your eyes and many more. The list is endless!
If you use either of them, it’s more than normal to make a big switch – that is, undergo vision corrective surgery. However, there are many options for this, so let’s know the top contenders, their procedures, the conditions they treat, and surgery along with the recovery time!
One of the most famous corrective laser surgeries for the eyes is LASIK. It has turned into a standard procedure for several eye conditions and is offered by most hospitals.
The surgeon corrects your vision by creating a corneal flap of 105 um deep (where the average cornea is 550 um thick) using a dedicated laser.
LASIK procedure is completely blade-free, so if you have a fear of blades, this is a great choice.
Next, the light from a femtosecond laser (with a 1053 nm wavelength of an infrared beam) then introduces millions of minute gas bubbles until they join and form the shape of a superficial flap. This process takes place in under 15 seconds.
An excimer laser (with 193 nm wavelength of cool beam of UV light) then reshapes the cornea beneath the flap. This procedure takes anywhere between 5-25 seconds.
For:
Myopia, Hyperopia, Presbyopia, Astigmatism; 18 years and above
Surgery Time:
At most 30 minutes
Recovery:
20:20 vision gets restored soon. You can see properly and follow your daily routine by the next day. Overall, internal healing takes around 2-3 months.
SMILE is another blade-free newer procedure. A femtosecond laser is used to create a thin contact lens-shaped layer under the cornea’s top surface called lenticule.
The lenticule size and shape vary among patients depending on the refractive errors. The surgeon then creates a 2-5 mm corneal incision and removes it through it.
After lenticule removal, the cornea becomes flat and forms a desirable shape for vision correction.
For:
Myopia (-1.0D to -10.00D), Astigmatism (-0.75D to -3.00D); 22-42 years
Surgery Time:
10-15 minutes
Recovery:
SMILE surgery recovery takes more time than LASIK. A few time periods for specific activities:
SILK, the latest one, is quite similar to SMILE surgery but performed with microsurgical instruments and advanced imaging technology, which leads to higher precision.
In this minimally invasive process, the surgeon creates a small and thin lenticule under the cornea surface.
A femtosecond laser creates the microscopic bubbles inside your cornea which leads to the corneal lenticule removal. This makes the cornea flat which fixes the eye issues.
SILK is a better option than LASIK and SMILE in terms of safety and efficiency. The best part is that you get the supervision of 6/5.
However, to get the best treatment and results, you must book a consultation with one of the leading centres in ophthalmology. There, you can entrust your eyes to the best doctors in India!
For:
Myopia (up to -12D), Astigmatism (up to 6D); 18-40 years
Surgery Time:
Around 5 minutes
Recovery:
The recovery rate of SILK is faster than SMILE and LASIK. Here’s the timeline for recovery:
PRK is the original laser eye surgery technique, which was replaced by LASIK. However, it’s still the preferred treatment for several patients.
Currently, it’s like an alternative to patients who can’t get LASIK due to thinner corneas, dry eyes, or sports with direct contact to eyes (fighting).
In this, a surgeon removes the epithelial or surface cells from the top layer of your cornea. Then they use a cool excimer laser to reshape the cornea according to your vision issues.
The surgery is finished by placing a bandage contact lens over your eyes to help you heal.
For:
Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism; 18 years and above.
Surgery Time:
At most 15 minutes
Recovery:
Complete Healing takes way longer in this – 2-4 weeks minimum and 3-6 months maximum. The time frame for some activities is as follows:
In RLE, the natural lens of your eyes is first removed using ultrasound. It’s replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL) according to your vision prescription. It helps you regain 20/20 vision.
The IOL isn’t visible to others, like contact lenses. You won’t even feel that a foreign object is in your eye. This is pretty similar to a cataract surgery, but there’s no cataract removal here.
For:
Myopia, Hyperopia, Presbyopia; Over 40-50 years
Surgery Time:
Around 15-20 minutes every eye
Recovery:
Full recovery happens between 1-8 weeks and several months. You can resume most day-to-day activities within a few weeks. However, discuss resuming the following activities with your doctor:
Conclusion
Now that you know about the most popular vision corrective procedures, figure out which one is applicable to you and research more about them if you’re curious.
Once you’ve decided to go for it, connect with a trustworthy eye hospital and break free from the optic shackles!
Disclaimer: Above mentioned article is a Consumer connect initiative. This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.
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