Eye Surgery – The Laser Revolution

Eye Surgery was first carried out, in a very simplistic and basic form as far back as the 1890’s. With the advent of the laser, doctors were developing methods to integrate this new laser technology within various types of surgery. Initially a patent was granted to Dr S Trokel in the 1980’s for a specific laser system, known as the Excimer which enabled laser eye surgery to take place for the first time. This type of laser corrected the cornea. Since then the laser has since continued to improve and evolve and today we have the opthalmic refractive surgery techniques which are carried out very frequently with very little risk to the patient.

Photo refractive keratectomy (PRK) was first introduced in the early 1980s and it involves the Excimer laser removing excess corneal tissues. In 1990, the LASIK techniques of eye surgery were invented by two Italian doctors .Lasik was built by using a combination of two existing techniques, PRK and Keratomiluesis. The latter is the reshaping of a cornea. Original PRK is preferable for some people and LASIK for others depending on the type of sight impairment that an individual is diagnosed as having..

Lasik techniques work very well as they reshape the cornea to correct the refraction impairment. These refractive impairments or errors are myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. the Lasik technique has been improved and adanced by the Microkeratome device which cut flaps in the cornea to improve vision. There are many variations available of ablation methods which involve reshaping corneal tissue. This could be the conventional method of laser eye surgery or wavefront guided or optimized treatments.

Additionally, there are other refractive surgeries. these are surface ablation, phakic intraocular lenses, conductive keratolasty and intracorneal ring sections. The best performing treatment for people with usual near or far sight is Lasik. Phakic is best for those with severe myopea and therefore not suitable for Lasik or ablation. Patients with hyperopia or presbyopia will be most suited to conductive keratolasty and finally, the intracorneal section treatment is the best choice for mild myopia and kertoconus