Eye Site
Aims & Expectations
What are your expectations ? Are they realistic and achievable?
Perfect vision without glasses may not be possible and it is almost certain that you will need glasses for some tasks later in life. Refractive surgery can reduce your dependence on visual aids ( glasses and contact lenses) and reduce the strength of your glasses.What are the risks ?
All refractive surgical procedures have risks. The risks are different with each procedure
and a considerable amount of detail is included in other areas of this web site.
The risks associated with the procedure can be devided into the following groups
- Surgical Risks occurring at the time of operation, these are generally well known.
- The Short Term published ( Known ) complications
- The Long Term (unknown) complications
Is the procedure reversible?
Once tissue has been removed (vaporized by the laser) it cannot be replaced so laser procedures
are not reversible. Both Implantable Contact Lenses and the Intra Corneal Ring Segments are
removable so there is the potential for reversal.
What is the chance of Success?
The answer to this question depends upon your definition of success - is it reduced dependence on
glasses or achieving a certain level of vision.
The possibility of meeting your expectations depends upon the severity of your refractive error
and the surgical technique used. The information presented here attempts to help you evaluate both
the risks and the success of each possible procedure.
For you do the possible benefits outweigh the risks?
Complete examination is essential to establish the answers to all these questions. Only once this has
been performed can specific risks be evaluated and the safest options considered. It is only when you
are totally happy with all these questions should you consider refractive surgery.. and only when you
can answer yes to this last question should you proceed with refractive surgery.