Are there different types of lasers for laser eye treatment?
Modern laser eye surgery uses two different lasers in every procedure. The first, known as a femtosecond laser, is used to create a thin flap in the top layer of the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye). This laser has replaced the use of a blade and boosted safety (some clinics still use the outdated blade but this should definitely be avoided).
Vision is corrected with a second laser (called an excimer laser), which reshapes the curvature of the cornea to correct the eye’s focus.
How does the laser work?
The femtosecond laser used in the first part of the procedure works by making 100 million microscopic bubbles across the cornea, gently separating and creating a thin flap. It is a much safer and more accurate way to create the top layer than the older blade cut device (keratome), which is no longer recommended.
The excimer laser then reshapes the corneal curvature by evaporating tiny amounts of tissue, just a fraction of a micron (a thousandth of a millimetre), with each pulse. Thousands of pulses are applied in just a few seconds to correct the full prescription.
Is it permanent/how long do the results last?
When performed on the right patients, the results are almost always permanent. The ideal candidate is someone who suffers from short-sight (myopia), or short-sight together with astigmatism, and who needs glasses to see anything that isn’t close by, e.g the TV, when driving, etc.
For these patients whose vision is no longer worsening and where the prescription is stable, the treatment typically will last a lifetime. At Focus, the re-treatment rate for short-sight returning is just 1 in 800 patients, the cost of which is covered by their lifetime care guarantee.
Reading glasses can also be treated with Blended Vision, a technique pioneered in the UK by Mr David Allamby at Focus. As this loss of near vision in mid-life tends to get worse with age, re-treatment may be needed after some years.
Do you have to do any tests before the laser treatment?
Yes. Multiple scans are needed to assess the complete health of the eyes, as well as an in-depth examination. For example, we use topography scans to measure the shape of the cornea to ensure it is strong enough for LASIK, and aberrometry scans to determine the optical quality of the eyes, i.e. if your eye was a camera, would it be a Canon or a Kodak.
What happens in the actual procedure?
The procedure takes around 10 minutes for both eyes. The operation is much more surgical than people image, with 90% of the procedure being peformed by the specialist manually, and the lasers being active for just 10% of the total time.
Mr Allamby performs more than 150 steps on each eye during LASIK surgery, hence why you need an expert surgeon to make sure you get the best result.
As a very simple summary, anaesthetic drops are first applied before a speculum is used to gently hold the eyelids apart. You will feel like you are blinking normally, even though the eye is not closing and there is no need to try to keep the eyes open.
In the LASIK procedure, a femtosecond laser is first used to create a thin corneal flap which is then folded over to the side. This laser takes around 20 seconds. The second excimer laser is then applied to correct the vision, taking 5-10 seconds for most prescriptions, with the very fast laser used at Focus. Some older lasers may take considerably longer. The flap is replaced before antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops are used.
News Editor Katie Banks had laser eye surgery performed by Mr David Allamby and is thrilled with the results
She says: “I was originally sceptical about laser eye surgery because I’d heard horror stories about your eyes being left dry afterwards or problems with the actual surgery which left patients with long term problems. But meeting Mr Allamby put all my fears at rest. His clinic has a 100% success rate with its patients and he has treated countless celebs including male supermodel David Gandy, Doctor Who star Jenna Coleman and TV presented Denise Van Outen. Before the laser procedure, I went through multiple tests over a series of hours to check I was right for the procedure.
“On the actual day of the procedure, I didn’t feel any pain at all and it was over within a matter of minutes. I relaxed in a chair whilst Mr Allamby told me what lights to focus on in front of me. You can see him operating the laser above you but you don’t feel anything after the anaesthetic is put in each eye. After the procedure, you can see perfectly straight away and the feeling is amazing.
“The clinic advise that you bring someone to help you get home on the day and you have to wear sunglasses whilst outside for a week to prevent anything getting inside your eyes. Your eyes do feel quite scratchy after the procedure but you are given drops and anaesthetic to take every hour. The next day I couldn’t feel any grittiness.
“During the week afterwards, you take a course of drops and for the next few months, you take fake tears drops for your eyes as they go through a dry period but they naturally return to normal.
“Having been someone who was completely blind without glasses (-6.00 in both eyes) the laser treatment has changed my life forever. I now wake up every morning to crystal clear vision and it feels like a treat everyday. The slight discomfort that you feel on the day of the procedure is definitely worth the long term gain and I would recommend the Focus Clinic for anyone considering laser treatment.”
To contact the Focus Clinic, please go to www.focusclinics.com or phone them on 0203 811 1697
David is offering Closer magazine readers a £500 discount on laser treatment until 30th August 2015. To qualify quote ‘Closer Magazine’ when making your booking.