Laser Eye Surgeries: How Safe and Effective Are They?

How safe is laser eye surgery? This is one of the most commonly asked questions that come from patients who are about to undergo the surgery.

Laser eye surgery is one of the safest clinical procedures that are practised today. Various forms of laser eye surgery have been performed for over 30 years. The procedure involved in the surgery is well-defined. Moreover, there is a vast amount of clinical evidence that proves each of the surgical procedures – like SMILE, LASIK, PRK and others – that is not only safe but also highly effective for the right candidates. 

Qualifying as a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery is very important for a successful surgery.

Let us discuss some clinical facts in the following sections of the blog post to prove how safe laser eye surgeries are.

More than 40 million people have successfully undergone Laser Eye Surgery

LASIK is one of the commonest types of laser eye surgery and it has been extensively studied covering hundreds and thousands of cases. The detailed study throws light on the following aspects:

• Nearly 99 out of every 100 patients who underwent the surgical procedure are satisfied and happy with the treatment outcome.
• More than 9 out of every 10 patients got perfect results (technically called 20/20 vision or better) and almost every patient had improved vision to smoothly qualify for driving requirements.
• The number of patients, who lost clarity of vision of 2 or more lines on the eye chart, was less than 2 in every 100. (Technically, it is known as corrected distance visual acuity.) there are other types of laser eye surgery equally safe and effective as LASIK Surgery in London

Different types of laser eye surgeries are more effective in different refractive errors or corneal features. In other words, LASIK is not the universal solution for every eye. Many experts suggest LASEK treatment for patients who have thin cornea(window of the eye) or are involved with contact sports. This is because LASIK surgery makes their cases more complicated in the course of time.

LASEK or PRK predates LASIK but it is seldom applied because of its lengthier recovery period. On the positive side, LASEK in comparison with LASIK in terms of safety and success rate is very equal.

Chances of side-effects and complications are pretty low

The majority of laser related side effects are temporary and easy to treat. Yet, you should have ample clarity about the potential risk factors before being operated upon. Here are some facts that you need to consider:

• Over-correction or under-correction of the refractive index: It means your vision is still short of attaining perfection after the surgery. You can correct this either by wearing classes, contact lenses or by an enhancement technique.
• Loss of sharpness in the vision: 1 to 2 among every 100 patients may go through this at the post-surgical phase when their vision is getting stabilised. Usually, the problem gets resolved within 6 months. 
• Dry eye: Laser eye surgery creates a disturbance in the tear film of your eye. As a result, tear production gets disrupted which leads to a condition called dry eye. majority of dry eye related to laser eye surgery is temporary and lasts only a few weeks and resolved by time Only in rare cases, the problem may persist for longer term.
• Flap issue: In LASIK surgery, the flap of the corneal tissue is lifted and replaced. As a result, it may get slightly displaced after the surgery when the patient forgetfully rubs the eye, partakes in sports or swims too soon. Stick to your post-surgical recovery instructions to avoid the unwanted complication.

Serious post-surgical complications occur rarely 

The biggest fear of patients undergoing laser eye surgeries is losing eyesight. It is important to mention that blindness resulting from laser eye surgeries is still unheard of or extremely rare. If you contract an eye infection during or after the surgery, you are likely to suffer from massive visual impairment. However, this can still be avoided if you are properly treated on time.rate of infection is an average of one per 18000 surgery, very rare 

This is the reason why you need an experienced and skilful eye surgeon for laser eye surgeries. As technology is steadily improving, the chances of unwanted complications are steadily decreasing in this range of treatments, says a renowned eye surgeon at Optimal Vision. Optimal Vision is a consultant led clinic which gives you peace of mind as you always be in direct contact with experienced consultants to avoid or resolve any possible complication to minimal.

If your eyes are not suitable for laser surgeries, the outcome is less likely to be effective. Moreover, that also puts you at higher risk of developing post-surgical complications.