Excimer laser surgery

Excimer laser surgery is one of the most popular surgical vision correction method for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. We perform this surgery using these methods:  LASIK, LASIK.SBK, epi-LASIK, LASEK or PRK. You can read more about these various methods here. For patients who are under 18 years old we offer  Ortho-K method.

During the surgery the top layer of the cornea is being affected by a laser, therefore corneal shape and refractive index changes. Light rays pass through the eye's optical system, start to collide in the retina and the vision gets better.
Excimer laser surgery can be performed for those patients whose refractive defect was stable for at least a year and no other disease which could impact vision was detected. The surgery lasts for about 20 minutes, a local anesthetic is applied. Based on the method chosen, the vision reaches optimal level right after the surgery or during a couple of weeks. 

The surgery can‘t be performed:

• if the degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is too great:  nearsightedness greater than (-) 8 D, farsightedness greater than (+) 3 D, astigmatism above 3 D.
• If the cornea is too thin the surgery can‘t be performed even if the degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism is not exceeding the limits. The thickness of the cornea before the surgery must be at least 500 microns.

With such conditions we recommendintraoccular correction. For patients who are older than 45-50 years because of weakening accommodation we recommendclear lens replacement surgery..

No vision correction surgery can be performed if the patient is diagnosed with systemic, auto-immune, connective tissue, allergical diseases, diabetes mellitus. Also pregnant and breastfeeding women can‘t have the surgery.

Vision correction and possible  complications

Refractive surgery is one of the safest eye surgeries. They are being performed all over the world for over 20 years.  Any post-surgical complications are cureable. For the patient that doesn‘t cost anything extra.

During the first examination the doctor will inform you about the negative surgery effects in detail. These are related to your age, refractive defect, the thickness of the cornea, basic physical condition, etc. Some people say that after the surgery, in two to twenty years, it's possible to become blind - it's an urban myth.   Experience shows that because of the surgery patient can't become blind. However, the surgery won't guarantee an immunity to other eye diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts.

Why do the prices for different surgical methods vary?

The patient who is willing to pay a higher price allows the doctor to use more modern equipment and better medicaments – during the diagnostic procedure and during the surgery. Also, the extent of the service varies. The price using PRK and LASIK methods doesn‘t include the medicine which is required for early post-surgical time to be used; free appointments after the surgery are valid for ten days, instead of six months. If there is a need to perform vision correction strenghtening surgery and you‘ve had LASEK, epi-LASIK or LASIK SBK surgery, for a year it is performed free of charge.

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about vision correction….

More about nearsightedness , farsightedness , astigmatism .