Eye Surgery

Types of laser surgery
Laser eye surgery consists of treating the cornea to correct an eye defect. The difference between the various methods is the way the cornea is exposed to make the correction. This is basically done in superficial (traditional) methods (Lasek, No Touch – PRK) or in-depth methods (Relex Smile).

This type of laser eye surgery does not cause any surface damage to the cornea and is painless.

a) Relex Smile is suitable for patients with astigmatism and myopia from -1 dioptre.

Using a special laser, no part of the cornea is removed. Instead, a lenticule is created inside. The cornea is then cut with the laser through an incision of about 3 mm, through which the surgeon removes the lenticule. The incision does not require stitches, so the eye defect is corrected, but the corneal surface remains intact.

Eye surgery with the Relex Smile method is not suitable for patients with thin corneas; on the contrary, patients with a power of -1 to 10 diopters and astigmatism up to 5 cylinders are good candidates. The advantage of Relex Smile eye surgery is maximum safety for the patient, preservation of the physiological layers of the cornea, absence of complications known for other methods and minimal risk of dry eye.

b) LASIK is a two-stage method using femtosecond and excimer laser. It is designed for the correction of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.

In the first stage, a lamellar flap is created using a femtosecond laser. In the second stage, it is removed using an excimer laser. The surgeon then performs the correction of the cornea with the laser and, after finishing, puts the flap back in place. Within a few hours after the operation, the lamella painlessly adheres back to the cornea. In the evening you can read books or watch television without any restrictions. Incapacity for work after surgery is rather an exception; you can go to work the next day. The advantage of Lasik eye surgery is that it puts minimal strain on the eye, is comfortable and painless even with difficult findings in the cornea, and gives quick results.

Surface procedures
In surgeries using surface procedures, the cornea is ground on the surface with a laser. This step prevents the temporary removal of the corneal epithelium. According to the way this is performed, we distinguish the following methods:

a) PRK – the corneal epithelium is removed mechanically without the use of an alcohol solution

b) LASEK – the epithelium is mechanically removed using a 20% alcohol solution

The removed corneal epithelium grows again in the postoperative period, so patients experience more pain than with in-depth methods. This type of laser eye surgery is suitable for patients with thin cornea, myopia and astigmatism. Patients with plus dioptre are unsuitable candidates for surgery.

Comparison of individual laser surgery methods .