Laser Vision Correction: 17 Interesting Facts
10.04.2014
Laser vision correction
- The first step in the field of laser vision correction was taken by Spanish ophthalmologist from Colombia, Jose Barraquer. In 1950, in his clinic in Bogotá, he created the first microkeratome and a technique used for the procedure, called keratomileusis. During it, a thin corneal incision is made and its shape is altered.
- The first laser vision correction in the world was performed in 1988 in Novosibirsk (Russia), under the guidance of doctors A. M. Razhev and V. P. Chebotaryov.
- More than 3 million people worldwide use laser vision correction every year for myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism to avoid glasses and contact lenses.
- The laser vision correction procedure takes only 10-15 minutes, and after it, the patient immediately begins to see much better than before.
- To achieve better results after laser correction, it is necessary to find an experienced surgeon who has performed more than 700 such procedures.
- In the history of laser vision correction, there has never been a case where a patient lost vision after the procedure.
- Good vision after laser correction remains for the rest of a person’s life.
- The procedure uses a cold laser, not a hot one.
- The specific smell that the patient may notice during the procedure does not come from the eyes, but from carbon dioxide atoms generated by the laser.
- The procedure is completely painless, performed using local anesthetic eye drops.
- Laser correction is not a serious surgical intervention. The procedure is performed using a surgical microscope at the micron level. The laser micro-incision is made only in the upper layer of the cornea. After correcting the vision defect, the wound heals almost instantly.
- The optimal age for restoring good vision with laser correction is from 18 to 45 years.
- Excimer laser vision correction can be performed on women who have not given birth. After this procedure, giving birth does not cause vision deterioration. Laser vision correction cannot be performed during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Laser correction is absolutely safe and predictable. All excimer lasers operate in the same wavelength range, in pulse mode. Due to the short-term effect in the tissue ablation zone, the temperature practically does not rise (no more than 5°–6°). With each pulse, the laser removes 0.25 µm (approximately 1/500 of the thickness of a human hair) of tissue. This precision allows achieving an ideal laser correction result and does not affect the internal eye tissues. Moreover, during the procedure, the patient can feel safe, as the laser intensity is computer-controlled, and the patient’s gaze monitoring system ensures the most accurate centering of the ablation zone.
- Laser correction cannot be performed incorrectly based on someone else’s data. Before performing laser correction, the doctor and engineer must match the data in the patient’s medical card with the data in the electronic card visible on the laser equipment monitor. Without a special electronic card (individual patient card), the laser equipment will be blocked and will not start.
- If the power suddenly goes out during the procedure (which is unlikely), the laser equipment automatically connects to the uninterruptible power supply system. Not only the devices but the entire room power system will be connected, creating conditions for safely performing laser correction. This ensures a full laser vision correction of both eyes without any technological interruptions.
- The laser cannot “miss” during correction because the eye position is fixed with a special vacuum ring and the patient’s head with a vacuum pillow. In addition, to avoid inaccuracies, the patient’s chair is securely fastened to the laser. This ensures that no eye displacement occurs during the procedure.
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