Phakic IOLs, An Alternative For Those Not Suitable For LASIK Surgery

LASIK is a secure and precise way of achieving freedom from eyeglasses or contacts. There tend to be however a small portion of subjects who regrettably are unsuitable for laser eye surgery. In general, those individuals are either too myopic (shortsighted) and fall outside the solution possible with LASIK, have overly thin corneas, or have atypically shaped corneas (keratoconus). Patients' eyesight can sometimes be made worse yet if medicated with LASIK in these circumstances, but conscientious pre-operative assessment detects them.

In circumstances where the affected individual has too high a amount of myopia (shortsightedness) but still have a regularly shaped cornea, the most appropriate treatment is the implantation of a Phakic Intra-ocular Lens or Cachet lens. This approach only takes 10 minutes long, is pain free and the patient can see well the day after. It offers the ability to repair even the most serious myopia absolutely. There has also been more than 10 years follow-up on this lens to analyze safety and efficacy, that displays excellent long-term stability and safety. The lens can not correct for astigmatism, accordingly some patients undergo a ‘bioptics’ procedure in which fine-tuning of the eyesight is achieved with a very small laser touch-up.



If the corneal shape is unnatural or the patient has sizeable astigmatism, the most suitable choice of procedure is an ICL (Intra-ocular Contact Lens) implantation. An ICL can help remedy astigmatism and also either myopia (shortsighted) or hyperopia (longsighted). A modern study researched quality of vision in high myopia (> -8 diopters) and found it was better in patients who had an ICL implantation compared to Laser vision correction. With the Intra-ocular Contact Lens, over 95% of patients are able to see at the vision standard necessary for driving or even better, and simple, quick enhancement procedures can be performed for many patients who do not initially meet this standard. There tends to be around a 1.7% chance of forming a cataract which in those scenarios is a quick correction regardless by undertaking a cataract extraction / Intra-ocular Lens Implantation. This cataract / lens implantation is generally the only viable alternative to an ICL regardless.

This thrilling cutting edge technology of Phakic IOL Implantation is a thrilling improvement, offering independence from eyeglasses and contact lenses in individuals who might by no means be able to achieve this otherwise, in a safe, quick and pain-free procedure with recovery of vision after only 1 day.

James Genge is a trusted ophthalmic surgeon from Sydney. Feel free to ask him any questions relating to Laser Eye Surgery or other eye health issues on his website at Laser Eye Surgery Sydney.

Why Choose Femtosecond Laser LASIK Over Blade LASIK?

Blade free Laser Vision Correction is all about the apex of technology for LASIK eye surgery. Blade-free allows laser eye surgery to grasp the highest degrees of accuracy and reliability, ease, comfort and safety for subjects. In Blade free Laser Eye Surgery, the corneal flap is created by means of a Femtosecond Laser as opposed to a Microkeratome (an oscillating blade) that is used in regular Lasik surgery.

The reasons Blade Free (Femtosecond Laser) LASIK is more advanced than Blade (Microkeratome) LASIK are numerous:

1. Blade-free LASIK creates a perfect flap every time; this is not the case when using a Microkeratome. A blade can sometimes produce a ‘button hole’ flap that fails to permit treatment to continue and includes a hazard of scarring the cornea. Working with a Femtosecond Laser all but eliminates this risk. A flawless flap equals greater vision.

2. The slimmer flaps made with a Femtosecond Laser are less dangerous in the long run in comparison to blade flaps as the cornea post op has greater firmness as it's wider. This lessens the risk of a consequence called Ectasia, where the cornea can bulge forward with a period of time, sometimes requiring a transplant of the cornea to correct.

3. Blade free (Femtosecond Laser) Laser Vision Correction routinely outperforms blade (Microkeratome) lasers in scientific studies reviewing visual quality. The flap profile and level of smoothness is superior, offering vision as good as or better than their eyeglasses.
A flap created by using a blade is thinner on the outside and thicker around the middle, this unevenness may blur vision. A Femtosecond laser (blade free) created flap is a steady thickness spanning its total diameter, reducing the possibility of micro-wrinkles, the ideal flap profile giving the best achievable vision in Laser Vision Correction.

4. Blade free (Femtosecond Laser) Laser Vision Correction allows the position of the flap to be crafted perfectly, an accomplishment unattainable with a Microkeratome. The ophthalmologist offers a digital image of the flap position superimposed over the affected individual’s cornea and prior to creating it he or she can manipulate and optimize the flap placement so it is centred flawlessly every time. This gives superior vision and safeness.

5. A Femtosecond flap is created with a top to bottom straight side cut, which is again a feat not doable with a blade or Microkeratome flap. This substantially minimizes the risk of a side-effect called epithelial ingrowth, where the cells on the surface of the cornea become seeded underneath the flap. It also enables a superior flap profile as the flap slides back downwards similar to a miniature manhole cover.

Laser Eye Surgery has progressed in an exhilarating new direction together with the introduction of blade-free femtosecond laser flaps; it is finally delivering on its promise of the safest and most exacting operation feasible.

Dr James Genge (M.B., B.S., B.Med.Sci. (Hons)., F.R.A.N.Z.C.O.) is an internationally trained and highly regarded eye doctor and laser eye specialist in the Sydney area. If you would like to know more, take a look at his website at Laser Eye Surgery Sydney.

How Femtosecond LASIK Is The Safest And Most Precise Way To Perform Laser Vision Correction

Laser eye surgery has been a consistently innovating field over the past 23 years. The very apex of technology available is Femtosecond Laser Eye Surgery that will provide unparalleled safety and dependability in Laser Eye Surgery. I feel Laser vision correction delivers our patients with the best quality achievable outcome with a fast and pain free solution.

The earliest approach used in Laser eye surgery was PRK or photo-refractive keratectomy, where the front surface film of cells is "scraped" off the cornea and the lasik treatment is carried out on the layer underneath. It is an appropriate treatment method for modest shortsighted or myopic corrections. However, there is significant discomfort following the operation for several days and the final stabilisation of eyesight takes six to eight weeks.

The following stage in the progression of Laser Eye Surgery was LASIK, whereby a blade known as a microkeratome is used to create a partially thick flap in the cornea. By saving the front surface layer of cell, the restoration of vision is fast, usually 1-2 days, and the procedure is pain free post-operatively. The disadvantage of LASIK performed with a microkeratome blade is the potential of making an irregular flap due to the procedure like a button-hole flap. If this occurs the laser procedure can't be undertaken. The depth of the flap is also fairly erratic. There is an uncommon side-effect of LASIK surgery called ectasia where the cornea becomes unstable and bulges in front over time, extreme cases requiring a corneal transplant to rectify. Producing too profound a flap heightens the danger of ectasia.

The most advanced way of conducting Laser eye surgery is to use a laser, called a Femtosecond Laser, to produce the corneal flap as an alternative to a blade. There are many benefits to doing this. The thickness of the flap is far less in a Femtosecond laser created flap ?n contrast to that created with a blade - this substantially lessens the possibility of the infrequent ectasisa risk I described before. As the laser makes a vertical cut on the side on the flap, any time this is repositioned the flap profile rests more precisely resulting in superior quality sight. The danger of getting an abnormally sliced flap is also avoided.

The Most state-of-the-art laser system in the world for Laser eye surgeryusing a Femtosecond Laser is the Alcon Refractive Suite. It features all the strengths offered by Femtosecond laser vision correction as well as benefits that make it more advanced than other femtosecond LASIK systems. It is the world’s fastest Femtosecond Laser, providing the most effective safety profile and the most comfortable treatment for the patient. It is the fastest Excimer laser in the world also; the laser that actually does the reshaping. A speedier treatment is a more precise treatment, since there is less dehydration of the corneal bed throughout the procedure,which results in in better results. The process also has the Fastest eye tracker in the world, ensuring the solution consistently will go precisely where it is supposed to.

Don't hesitate to ask Dr. Genge any sort of questions you might have regarding laser eye surgery or any other eye health issues, by visiting his website at Laser Eye Surgery Sydney.