Refractive errors like myopia and hyperopia can progress throughout your life causing uncorrected blurry vision. However, if you’re finding that glasses and contact lenses are no longer meeting your visual needs, then laser eye surgery could give you the results you desire.
However, laser eye surgery is not recommended for everyone. During your comprehensive consultation, your optometrist will assess your eyes to see if they’re healthy enough to have surgery and if you will benefit from it.
Even if you’re able to have laser eye surgery, this does not guarantee you will have perfect vision following the procedure. Many patients find they still require the use of contact lenses and/or glasses even after laser eye surgery.
Luckily, our eye doctors come equipped with the experience and know-how to accurately discern if laser eye surgery is the right choice for you. Please request a consultation with us and find out precisely what laser eye surgery can do for you!
Laser eye surgery, sometimes called refractive surgery or laser vision correction, refers to a handful of different procedures used to manage refractive problems that can occur due to the shape and power of your cornea and/or lens. Depending on your visual goals and the health of your eyes, your optometrist can provide you with information and co-manage the following surgeries:
LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) eye surgery is by far the most commonly performed surgery on our list. Your ophthalmologist uses a laser or a tiny blade to create a flap in the superficial cornea, folding it back to allow access to the underlying cornea.
An excimer laser then reshapes the cornea, creating the desired refraction to improve your vision. The corneal flap is then gently folded back into place.
PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is a very similar procedure to LASIK eye surgery. However, the difference is that the superficial cornea, known as the epithelium is gently removed instead of the creation of a flap.
An excimer laser reshapes the cornea to the desired prescription, and the epithelium will grow back over the next few days.
If you aren’t a match for LASIK or PRK surgery, you could be a fit for RLE (refractive lens exchange) surgery. Your ophthalmologist removes your natural crystalline lens, replacing it with an intraocular lens with the correct power to eliminate your prescription. RLE is effectively the same as cataract surgery, but without the cataract.
Make sure to book a couple of days off work following the procedure to let your eyes heal. If you are having RLE surgery, your optometrist will provide you with eye drops to start using 2 days before the operation.
On the day of your surgery, make sure you aren’t wearing any makeup, colognes, fragrances, or any other product that may contain alcohol. Do not wear any clothes made of fleece or wool, that could release small fibers. These products can affect the procedure and could cause complications.
Following your surgery, make sure you have transportation to get you home. You won’t be able to drive for a few days while your eyes heal, so it’s essential to have another way to get around, whether that is through public transit, a cab, or a friend willing to drive you.
Your ophthalmologist will give you a pair of sunglasses to help mitigate light sensitivity and protect your eyes. You will be given medicated eye drops along with a regimen to follow to help the healing process.
Your optometrist will schedule a few follow-up appointments to help monitor how well your eyes are healing. You may experience common side effects, including redness, irritation, dryness, and light sensitivity for a couple of days following the surgery.
If you are interested in having laser eye surgery, please reach out to us to request a consultation. No two patients are the same, and every eye responds to surgery differently. Our optometrists can help find the procedure that is right for you, so you can improve your vision and lifestyle in the best possible way!
It’s always great! Love the doctor and all the people that work there! Very patient and helpful.
Staff are great there! It’s a bustling place, but they’re well organized and always have a smile and positive customer service. Optometrists are very knowledgeable and helpful.
I went there today to get some new glasses. There was no wait, as I was seen at 2:55, even though my appointment was for 3:00! The staff were exceptionally nice and the optometrist I saw was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable. The location is beautiful and they have a great selection of glasses frames. I was very impressed with my visit.
You can easily find our office at the Canamera Medical Centre, located South of Zehrs at Cambridge Centre. We have free parking, with convenient handicap parking right in front of our office. Visit us today!
Cambridge Eye Care
