LASIK Laser Eye Surgery
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LASIK Brochures :
- LASIK, or Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, is the name of the specific method employed in most laser eye surgeries.
- LASIK is the world’s most tried & proven method of freeing eyes from the need for glasses and contact lenses and has positively transformed the lives of tens of millions of people over the past 35+ years.
- Precise, fast, and proven, LASIK laser vision correction delivers amazing results and a quick recovery period, allowing you to return to your normal activities the next day with no glasses or contacts, just great vision.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that damages the nerve at the back of your eye, called the optic nerve. The optic nerve sends the signals to the brain that enables you to see. Glaucoma is associated with increased sensitivity to pressure within the eye. The eye’s aqueous fluid is constantly produced and drained at a balanced rate and forms the intraocular pressure within the eye (IOP). When this drainage is reduced, or if there is too much fluid production, IOP increases and leads to damage of the optic nerve.
Image of the optic nerve showing loss of nerve cells in patients with glaucoma.
Glaucoma typically has no symptoms. Most patients do not experience any issues until they visit their eyecare provider. Untreated glaucoma can cause a gradual loss of vision, usually starting in the periphery which may go unnoticed for long periods of time.
Image showing the effect of loss of sight in patients with glaucoma.
Our Process :
Assessment
Detailed measurements of the eyes are taken for safety and accuracy, and the team will discuss your options.
Of course, LASIK might not be right for everyone, so it's essential to have a detailed assessment & conversation with our team at Re:Vision, to see if you're a good candidate for the procedure. But for many people, LASIK is a fantastic option to achieve better vision and a more carefree lifestyle!
Meet your surgeon
Usually, at the same visit, you will meet your surgeon who will thoroughly examine your eyes and discuss your eyesight problems and treatment options.
On the day
The entire LASIK procedure is usually done in less than 20 minutes for both eyes, and you'll be amazed at how quick and straightforward it is! The best part is that you'll notice the results almost immediately. You will experience clearer vision right after LASIK, and over the next few days, your eyes will continue to heal and improve. Your eyes are not patched, you go home wearing clear plastic protective shields to protect your eyes as they heal overnight.
Recovery
After the procedure, you will be given some simple care instructions to follow, like using eye drops and avoiding rubbing your eyes. You might need a little rest and take it easy for a day or two, but most people can get back to their regular activities pretty quickly.
Check up
Your first check will be the day after surgery. Almost all patients have better than driving standard vision and are back to work after one quiet day.
5 most common reasons patients have LASIK eye surgery :
Improved Vision :
LASIK can significantly improve high definition vision, allowing people to see clearly without relying on glasses or contact lenses. This is a huge benefit for people who’ve been struggling with poor vision for years.
Convenience :
For those always on the go or have an active outdoor lifestyle, a life not limited by glasses or contacts is a huge lift.
Cost Savings :
Over time, the cost of glasses and/or contact lenses, all add up. LASIK is a very cost-effective solution to reduce long-term expenses related to vision correction.
Safety :
With advances in laser technology, the small risks associated with LASIK have become increasingly minimal. Risks are minimised by choosing an experienced specialist laser surgeon who uses the latest laser technology.
Improved Self-Confidence :
For many, wearing glasses or contact lenses can be a source of self-consciousness. LASIK helps to improve self-confidence and allow people to feel more comfortable in their own skin.
Saving money
The hidden costs: what could you save?
What could that money have done?
The $40,000 you'd potentially spend on glasses and contact lenses over the next 30 years could have given you 15 luxurious holidays.
Est - 15 Holidays
Average holiday cost: $2600
Calculation: 40,000 / $2600 = 15
Saving time
The hidden cost of wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Did you know?
The time you'd spend handling glasses and contact lenses over the next 30 years is enough to have could have taken you around our planet over 30 times!
Est- 526 hours
Cleaning: 3 minutes/day
Finding misplaced glasses: 2 minutes/day
Repair, shopping: 2 hours/year
Total: 526 hours (over 30 years)
Est- 526 hours
Inserting and Removing: 3 minutes/day
Cleaning: 2 minutes/day
Renewing & Check-ups: 2 hours/year
Total: 1,012 hours (over 30 years)
Saving planet
Reducing our carbon footprint
The environmental perspective
Over 30 years, using glasses and contact lenses contributes to 876lb of CO2 emissions. Opt for vision correction and take a stand for our planet!
Est- 876.6 CO2 emissions
Combined plastic waste:
0.525 kg (glasses)+65.7 kg (contact lenses)=66.225 kilograms over three decades.
Total: 66.225 kilograms of plastic×6=397.35 kilograms = 876Lb of CO2 emissions(over 30 years)
Benefits of LASIK
Safe
We use the very newest laser technology available in New Zealand to provide unequaled safety, care, and quality of vision. Our surgeons have also published widely on the safety of laser vision correction.
Fast
It only takes seconds to correct the prescription in each eye.
Proven
Over 30 million LASIK surgeries have now been done globally.
Clear
The outcomes of Wavefront-Guided LASIK are exceptional.
Comfortable
LASIK is a quick and comfortable procedure and the recovery is fast and virtually painless.
Some patients are not suitable for LASIK due to a thin cornea or high prescription. Such patients are more suitable for PRK (Photo-Refractive Keratectomy) laser eye surgery or ICL surgery.
Personalised Surgical Care
Some patients are not suitable for drops or laser therapy and require either cataract surgery, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery or complex glaucoma surgery.
Minimally invasive Glaucoma surgery (MIGS) marks a milestone in the advancement of glaucoma patient care. MIGS are a form of glaucoma surgery which is associated with minimal incisions, and are generally associated with lower risks in restoring normal eye pressure.
Prior to MIGS, treatment options were limited to medications, laser and major glaucoma tube and filtration surgery. Now, with MIGS, our team at Re:Vision have more treatment options which benefits a patient with faster recovery , less surgical risks and less dependence on medications following surgery.
Our surgeon is a leader in MIGS surgery in NZ, with a wealth of experience with iStent -W, Kahook Dual Blade, Hydrus, XEN, Preserflo, micropulse and cyclodiode laser.
MIGS management include:
1) Various treatment options and benefits which are patient centric and individualised
2) Evidence based therapy and
3) Promising outcomes for glaucoma patients.
MIGS can be performed as a standalone procedure or in conjunction with cataract surgery. There are different surgical approaches under the MIGS umbrella, but they generally are designed to allow more fluid to drain out of the eye and hence, reduce intraocular pressure.
a) iStent
The iStent is the smallest medical device ever implanted into humans. The iStent decreases eye pressure by creating a pathway into the eye’s drainage system. The iStent was the first trabecular micro-bypass device approved by the FDA and is the most thoroughly-studied glaucoma device on the market.
Click here to watch video on iStent
b) Kahook Dual Blade
The Kahook Dual Blade goniotomy procedure involves removing a section of the trabecular meshwork (the part which is associated with the greatest resistance in fluid outlflow) and hence increasing drainage out of the eye.
Click here for information on KDB
c) Micropulse Laser Treatment
This procedure decreases the amount of fluid produced by the eye and increases fluid outflow. A probe is placed on the surface of the eye and the surgeon applies laser energy to part of the eye which controls the production of fluid in the eye.
d) Preserflo Stent
The Preserflo drainage shunt is type of microshunt implant used to reduced intraocular pressure by creating a controlled pathway for the drainage of fluid out of the eye. It is made from a specialised biocompatible material called SIBS, which is known for its stability, flexibility and compatibility with the human body, hence minimising tissue inflammation.
Click here for information on Preserflo
Trabeculectomy surgery has been done for more than 50 years, and involves making a separate channel for fluid to filter out of the eye.
A drainage tube is a device inserted into the eye, which acts as straw where fluid can access to drain out of the eye onto the outer coat of the eye. There are several drainage tubes available in NZ which include Molteno drainage tube, Paul drainage tube and Baerveldt drainage tube.
Generally, these surgeries are done once all others have been exhausted and have failed to stop the progression of glaucoma.
Glaucoma is optic nerve damage due to increased pressure sensitivity within the eye while a cataract is a clouding of your natural lens within your eye.
In some patients, the hardening and change in the shape of the lens with the development of cataract, can potentiate the effects of glaucoma, such as angle closure glaucoma. In this situation, we may suggest having cataract surgery as a way to treat your glaucoma.
Some patients can combine glaucoma and cataract surgery (includes patients with open angle glaucoma). MIGS procedures in particular can be performed through the same incision as cataract surgery, providing an efficient way to address two problems at once.
World’s most advanced Lasers
Peramis Wavefront Aberrometer
There are 25 measurable causes of defocus in our eyes. These defocus errors are called aberrations and are precisely measured by an aberrometer. With accurate measuring and laser treatment of these aberrations, we can achieve high-definition vision even clearer than glasses can provide. Older laser technologies, and SMILE, only measure and treat 2 defocus errors, compared to 25. Wavefront aberrometers allow laser surgeons to precisely analyse the optics of the eye. The Peramis aberrometer has six times higher resolution than other systems. This exceptional performance is based on a high-resolution pyramidal wavefront sensor that measures ocular wavefront aberrations with an unequaled 45,000 measuring points. Together with the integrated high-resolution topography with Placido technology, this allows for an extremely accurate assessment of corneal and ocular aberrations. This data allows your surgeon to individually customise the wavefront-based correction of your vision.
Sirius Tomographer
Combines Placido disk topography with Scheimpflug tomography of the front of the eye to allow the surgeon to perform the safest version of laser vision correction customised to your eyes. The device provides highly accurate measurements of corneal thickness, curvature, power as well as pupil size measurements and is commonly used for refractive surgery planning and follow-up.
Schwind Amaris 1050RS excimer laser
Considered the world’s most precise excimer laser for vision correction used in LASIK and PRK. The more precise the laser, the more precise the vision correction. The Schwind Amaris 1050 laser is equipped with 7-dimensional eye tracking for accurate delivery of laser pulses with compensation for the slightest eye movement during surgery.
Smart-pulse technology leaves the smoothest possible corneal surface leading to exceptional visual quality and high-definition vision.
Ziemer Z6 Femtosecond Laser
The Ziemer Z6 solid-state femtosecond laser provides unmatched safety and predictability for corneal flap creation – the first stage in the LASIK procedure. It provides faster overnight vision recovery and higher-definition vision. The Ziemer Z6 laser has the highest repetition rate of any femtosecond laser with overlapping, precise spots with the lowest most gentle energy delivery of all laser systems. This avoids the formation of opaque bubbles during LASIK flap creation which aids accurate eye tracking and results in rapid visual recovery.
What is Wavefront-Guided LASIK?
Re:Vision offers New Zealand’s newest and most accurate German Schwind 1050 excimer laser technology to deliver Wavefront-Guided LASIK. There is no faster or more precise laser technology in the world.
The term “wavefront-guided” refers to the ability to measure your eye’s own subtle focus errors - all 25 “higher-order aberrations” - and then use automated 7 - dimension accurate eye tracking to deliver highly precise laser correction of your eye’s unique focus errors. There is no technology that more precisely measures and treats errors providing high-definition vision, particularly night vision.
Wavefront-guided LASIK laser eye surgery is the most popular form of laser vision correction for those seeking the safest way to enjoy high-definition vision for life. It is the laser vision correction technique that provides the fastest healing time, and the least discomfort, allowing you to return to driving and other normal daily activities the very next day. It is the most tried and tested, and longest proven safety record of all forms of laser vision correction.
WG-LASIK should not be confused with SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction). SMILE is less accurate, less precise, less safe, slower to recover vision, and delivers lower quality vision than modern Wavefront-Guided LASIK, as the latter uses the latest Schwind 1050 excimer laser technology.
Glaucoma Research at Re:Vision
Dr Perumal values the importance of research initiatives and technology in glaucoma. We may invite you to participate in the Save Sight Registry run by the Save Sight Institute, in collaboration with the University of Sydney and Sydney Eye Hospital to fight glaucoma blindness.
The Save Sight Registries is one of the most advanced ophthalmic registries in the world, and is a unique platform for tracking eye disease, interventions and patient outcomes. Its sophisticated design delivers real-world evidence on the risks and benefits of current and new treatments for ocular conditions. This information helps clinicians provide safe, cost-effective and evidence-based solutions for vision impairment and avoidable blindness.
The Save Sight Registries also promotes international scientific research aimed at developing strategies for reducing the incidence of blindness throughout the world.
So, what’s the difference between LASIK and SMILE?
Here are reasons our surgeons at Re:Vision see LASIK as a superior procedure to SMILE:
- SMILE treatments are more likely to be decentred as LASIK has computer controlled auto-centration whilst SMILE is manual
- LASIK provides high-definition vision, SMILE provides low-definition vision
- SMILE has a slow vision recovery taking weeks/months to settle, LASIK has rapid vision recovery in days
- Studies have shown no difference in dryness between LASIK vs SMILE after 3months
- LASIK corrects astigmatism much more accurately than SMILE as LASIK has computer controlled auto-alignment compared to manual SMILE
- SMILE treats only 2 focus errors (myopia & astigmatism), LASIK measures and treats 25 focus errors (higher order aberrations)
- It is very difficult (and potentially dangerous for vision) to fine-tune any annoying de-focus after SMILE, laser fine-tuning after LASIK is simple, safe, and highly effective
- Night vision is better after LASIK than SMILE
- LASIK has a larger treatment diameter than SMILE, helping to enhance night vision with LASIK
- SMILE requires much more surgeon hand-held manipulation than LASIK
How much does laser eye surgery cost?
At Re:Vision, all types of laser vision correction (LASIK or PRK) cost : $3,599/eye
You may think that LASIK or PRK laser vision correction is expensive, and while it isn’t cheap, you might be surprised to learn how much money you save when compared to a lifetime of buying glasses or contacts. Laser vision correction will prove a superior investment over the course of 20 years, and you will enjoy the added benefit of not needing to wear glasses or put in contacts every day.
By the time I turn 45, I will have spent on contact lenses/glasses :
At Re:Vision, all types of laser vision correction
(LASIK or PRK) cost : $3,599/eye
Get Started
Are you ready to start your journey?
Wearing contact lenses? If you wear contact lenses, please leave them out and wear glasses for two full days prior to the day of your assessment
References :
- Ziaei M, Mearza AA, Allamby D. Wavefront-optimized Laser in situ keratomileusis With the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q Excimer Laser and the FEMTO LDV Crystal Line Femtosecond Laser: 6 month Visual and Refractive Results, Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2015. 38(4):245-9.
- Zarei-Ghanavati S, Jafarzadeh SV, Es'haghi A, Kiarudi MY, Hassanzadeh S, Ziaei M. Comparison of 110- and 145-µm Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction Cap Thickness: A Randomized Contralateral Eye Study. Cornea. 2023 May 4.
- Zarei-Ghanavati S, Jafarpour S, Hassanzadeh S, Bakhtiari E, Daraee G, Monadi SD, Ziaei M. Changes in Corneal Biomechanical Properties After Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction and Photorefractive Keratectomy, Using a Noncontact Tonometer. Cornea. 2021
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