Excimer Surgeries

EXCIMER LASER

The process of removing visual defects (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) by completely changing the shape of the transparent layer of the eye, called the cornea, from Excimer laser devices, which are completely computer controlled, can briefly be called correction laser vision.

With the application of the excimer laser to the corneal tissue in the front part of the eye, it causes the carbon bonds that hold the tissue in the cornea to break and destroy the tissue through evaporation. With the excimer laser, a finely tuned amount of laser is delivered to the desired areas of the cornea, and part of the cornea is shaved to the desired size. Thus, the refraction of the cornea is changed and the desired value is achieved.

The method of eliminating visual defects with the excimer laser method has been applied for more than 25 years in the world and for 22 years in Turkey. During this time there have been many changes in laser devices and application techniques, and with each change irreversibly better and desired results can be achieved, patient comfort can be maintained at a higher level and fewer complications (adverse outcomes) are provided. The excimer laser, which was put into practice with the PRK method with the first application, has developed into the femtolasic method today.

To whom applies the Excimer laser treatment?

In a normal eye without visual defect, the image falls exactly on the retina, the visual layer where the image is perceived.

*Myopia: In myopia, either the corneal surface is very convex or the eye is longer than normal. In these patients, blurred vision occurs in the distance because the image falls in front of the retina layer.

*Hyperopes: Patients with a flatter cornea or shorter anteroposterior eye length such that the image falls behind the retina. In these eyes, the problem of near vision is more than distance vision.

*Astigmatism: when the surface of the eye is tilted like an egg, distance and near vision decreases.

*Presbyopia: This is the difficulty in seeing up close, which generally occurs after the age of 45, following the reduction in the elasticity of the lens due to age. Due to the natural aging process, people use near glasses for near vision after the age of 45, or they need a second pair of glasses in addition to their distance glasses.

Excimer laser application methods:

PRK: This is the first method of applying the Excimer Laser. Here, extremely thin living tissue called the epithelium on the cornea is scraped off with a scraper called a spatula. The corneal surface measures approximately 9 mm. The excimer laser is applied after an area is completely epithelialized. The eye then renews the removed epithelium itself. It is painful after the operation, tingling and pain sensation occurs for about 3-7 days. Vision relief may take up to 3-6 weeks.

TPRK: This is a feature of the only Schwind Amaris Excimer Laser device and in this technique the laser is applied directly to the cornea without removing the epithelium. In this technique, the tingling sensation is less and vision recovery is faster.

Lasik: Lasik is a surgical method developed to perform Excimer laser correction satisfactorily and painlessly. The Lasik method has 4 main advantages;

1-) It is a more painless method for the patient compared to PRK, and some complaints of tingling and pain in the patient on the day of the procedure decrease or disappear from the 2nd day.

2-) Vision improvement is faster. The patient obtains a very satisfactory vision in 3 to 5 days.

3-) There is no return of the number after the operation or the opacification of the cornea.

4-) It can be applied in large numbers up to 10 degrees in myopia.