ReLEx SMILE ZEISS #LifeWithoutGlasses

The absence of any progressive eye disease is an essential condition in eligibility for eye surgery. But it is not always enough. There are other criteria to consider.

The thickness of the cornea (the lens in the front part of the eye) is very important, as vision correction is done by remodeling the tissue of this lens. It follows that a minimum thickness of the cornea is required, beyond which the operation can become risky for the eye.

The diameter of the pupil should not be too large. If the pupils are naturally large, there is a risk of unpleasant visual effects after the operation: halos, bright images at night, especially when driving.

High diopter values may limit the possibility of complete reduction. The results of laser eye surgery for high diopters can be unpredictable and carry a risk of visual complications. In these situations, other intraocular procedures may be recommended to correct vision

Evolutionary eye diseases such as: keratoconus, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, severe eye dryness, cataracts, eye inflammations prevent you from laser dioptre reduction surgery. There are other interventions in such situations.

Degenerative or autoimmune diseases such as: diabetes, connective tissue diseases, Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV infection affect the way of postoperative healing and are contraindications for laser operations.

The results after the operation are excellent and patients enjoy good vision without glasses. Recovery is in most cases very fast and the patient resumes his activities the next day.

Your expectations must be realistic. The visual acuity depends on the optical system of the eye that is corrected by these interventions but also on the quality of the retina and the optic nerve and other eye structures. The goal of the surgery is for the patient to see without glasses after the surgery, as well as they could see with (properly prescribed) glasses before the surgery.

Laser diopter reduction interventions are considered to be among the safest in surgery in general. All over the world, millions of such procedures are performed annually and their history is already over 40 years old. Meanwhile, technology has advanced enormously, making them safer and faster.

However, you must be aware that there may be risks and possible side effects associated with any medical procedure. Although extremely rare, possible complications that may occur after surgery are: chronic eye dryness, visual halos and fog, undercorrection, overcorrection, flap-related complications, retinal detachment, infection.

The vast majority of complications are treatable and usually resolve within the first few months after surgery.

Laser dioptre reduction is permanent and very stable over time. There is no risk of the previous dioptres returning.

It should be taken into account that the evolution of the eye’s structures over time can bring about a slight change in the diopters, independent of the intervention. It is the case of the lens that loses its elasticity and begins to add diopters for almost after 40-45 years and after 60 to slowly develop cataracts.

In the case of large dioptre reductions, especially on plus, there is a risk of regression by remodeling the eye during healing.

The fear of operations is understandable, but in the case of laser procedures, the interventions are extremely fast and do not involve any discomfort. Although they are done in an operating room with all the related protocols, they can hardly be called “surgical operations” in the sense known to everyone. Patients say almost without exception that they did not realize when it happened and regret not having done the intervention sooner.

In order to see well if you have a refractive error, glasses or contact lenses are necessary according to the prescription of the ophthalmologist.