What is refractive surgery?
uses precise lasers to reshape the , the clear front window of the eye, so that light focuses correctly without glasses or contact lenses. It treats nearsightedness, farsightedness, and . The goal is freedom from glasses, but the right goal is safe freedom from glasses.
The three main techniques
Three techniques are in everyday use: , , and .
A thin flap is created on the cornea, the laser reshapes the tissue beneath, and the flap is placed back. Recovery is fast; most people see well the next day.
Each method has strengths, and none is "best" for everyone. Your corneal shape and thickness, your prescription, and your daily life decide together.
Who is a good candidate?
- Age 18 or older, with a prescription that has been stable for at least a year
- Healthy corneas with enough thickness for safe reshaping
- No active eye disease and no uncontrolled general health problems affecting healing
- Not pregnant or breastfeeding, since hormones can shift the prescription
- Realistic expectations about results
What does the evaluation include?
A proper evaluation is much more than a quick glasses test. We take detailed maps of your cornea's shape and thickness, check your tear film (dry eye matters before and after surgery), confirm that your prescription is stable, measure your pupils, and perform a full dilated examination of the back of the eye. Only when all measurements agree do we recommend surgery.
Surgery day and after
The procedure itself is done with numbing drops and takes only minutes for both eyes. You go home the same day with protective shields and a simple drop routine. Most LASIK and SMILE patients are back at work within a day or two; PRK needs a few days more while the surface skin heals. We see you the next day and then at planned intervals to confirm that healing is exactly on track.
Honest words about risks
Laser vision correction is very safe in well-selected eyes, but no surgery is risk-free. Temporary dry eye is common in the first months. Glare or halos around lights at night can occur and usually fade. A small percentage of patients benefit from a fine-tuning enhancement later. And laser surgery does not stop the normal age-related need for that arrives in the forties.
Key points
- LASIK, PRK, and SMILE all reshape the cornea so that light focuses correctly; none is "best" for everyone.
- Good candidates are adults with a stable prescription, healthy corneas with enough thickness, and realistic expectations.
- Recovery is fastest after LASIK and SMILE; PRK needs a few extra days while the surface skin heals.
- Temporary dry eye and glare or halos at night are common early on and usually fade.
- Laser surgery does not prevent the normal need for reading glasses in the forties.
Common questions
Whether this applies to you can only be decided after an examination.