LASIK laser eye surgery
Among the most commonly performed laser eye surgery in the world, LASIK is also certainly the best known. One surgery, two lasers, no more glasses!
LASIK, refractive laser eye surgery
What are the LASIK suitability criteria?
All patients with myopia between -0,25 and -12D and/or astigmatism from -0,25 to -6D can have LASIK. All patients with hyperopia from 0,75 to 6D and/or astigmatism from 0,25 to 6D can benefit from LASIK. We can ensure your suitability at your first appointment.
How does LASIK work?
The LASIK procedure works by using a laser to create a flap in the cornea – the transparent, dome-shaped surface of the eye that accounts for a large part of the eye’s bending or refracting power. We then use a laser to reshape the cornea, which corrects the refraction problems in the eye.
What are the advantages of LASIK?
We get excellent results. Visual recovery is rapid, and there is no pain either during or after the procedure. Patients rediscover the pleasure of going out, playing sports and travelling without glasses or contact lenses. Many of our patients find themselves more attractive without glasses and report having more confidence in themselves after the operation.
What are the disadvantages of LASIK?
The disadvantages of LASIK are very few. LASIK can sometimes induce nighttime halos for the more major corrections, but it depends on the size of the pupil in the dark. However, with the ablation profiles we currently use, this complication has become very rare. LASIK can also unmask preoperative “dry eye”. To avoid this, we include a dry eye assessment in our initial assessment to analyze this risk and offer preventive management of this pathology.
What are the LASIK risks?
Sometimes after LASIK, there is a residual correction (remaining visual error) that requires retouching (around 1% of cases). We have experience with these alterations and can perform this additional treatment without difficulty. Extremely rarely, in approximately 1 in 10 000 cases, the patient’s visual acuity drops to 8/10, and they may need to start wearing glasses again. Our experience and know-how allow us to take care of these cases, even if the patients have been operated on at other visual clinics.
What are the LASIK steps?
Before your LASIK operation
The treatment itself lasts only 15 minutes, but you should allow an hour between your arrival at the center and your departure. On arrival, we will offer you an anxiolytic and analgesic pre-medication to relax you. Then, after putting on a sterile operating robe, we enter the operating room for about 15 minutes. You lie on the ophthalmological chair, and we instil drops of anaesthetic in your eyes. There is no stinging, nor need for general anesthesia. Thanks to this local anesthesia, the treatment is perfectly painless.
During your LASIK operation
During your procedure, you lie on an ophthalmological chair. The first stage of treatment consists of preparing a thin corneal lenticule or ‘flap’ using the femtosecond laser. During this step, you will feel a little pressure on your eye for 20 seconds. During this treatment, a stabilizing system ensures the accuracy and safety of the treatment. If, however, you move from your position, the laser stops, and we can resume at the point where it was interrupted, without any problem.
The treatment is applied successively on both eyes. Then, the rotating chair places you under the excimer laser without you having to rise. We place a ‘blepharostat’ (an eye speculum) between your eyelids to keep them open. Anesthesia removes the blinking reflex, so you will not want or need to close your eyelids during the treatment. We lift the flap and apply the excimer laser treatment to your cornea to reshape it, removing your optical defect.
This step lasts 10 to 30 seconds per eye. During the laser treatment, two infra-red security cameras monitor your eye to follow its small movements. If these movements are too great, a safety system instantly interrupts the treatment. This makes it possible to return to the procedure under the best conditions. Finally, we replace the flap to its natural position, which concludes the operation. We will perform a final check-up of your eyes under the microscope before your departure. Sunglasses will be given to you to protect your eyes when you return to your home.
What are the LASIK results?
The results are excellent; the patients resume their usual activities the next day. Sometimes there may be a small, non-annoying mist that disappears within a few hours. Vision without correction is perfect in 97% of cases. Otherwise, we can perform a touch-up to improve the result.
Visit the Bellecour Vision Clinic YouTube Channel
Consult the testimonials of our patients who relate their experience in our clinic. In this video, our patient Romain L. talks about his Lasik surgery, his new life without glasses and the well-being he now enjoys.