MYOPYA: EYEBALL TOO LONG, DISTANT VISION BLURRED
Light rays converge in front of the retina. Far vision is blurry and near vision is clear. Some patients are convinced that myopia decreases or “balances” while aging. Actually, after 45 years old, a light myopia (of 3 Dioptres) presents one advantage: the patient will be able to read without glasses because his myopia will allow him to see near without accommodation.
A wide range of surgical operations to correct myopia
SURFACE" TECHNIQUES PRK, LASEK AND EPILASIK
LASER TECHNIQUES WITHOUT CUTTING.
Surface operations are easy to perform surgical procedures that are free of operating complications.
In case of PRK treatment, the surgeon prepares the cornea by manual abrasion. For LASEK, he uses a diluted alcoholic solution to prepare the cornea. Finally, for the most recent surface technique EpiLASIK, the surgeon uses an automated motor to prepare the cornea.
These techniques are very effective for correcting light to medium myopia (between 0 and 5 Dioptres). Beyond 5 Dioptres, the more the correction is important, the more the patient will be exposed to a risk of abnormal healing (Haze phenomenon) and regression (loss of some of the correction).
Their main disadvantage is the immediate postoperative discomfort and the slower recovery rate.
Learn more about surface techniques PRK - LASEK - EpiLASIK
"IN DEPTH” TECHNIQUES OF THE CORNEA
LASIK AND FEMTOLASIK - TECHNIQUES WITH CUTTING.
Cutting eye surgeries (LASIK and FemtoLASIK) require more skills and experience from the surgeon. Nevertheless, the surgical complication rates remain low (1%)..
The surgical risk is related to the creation of the corneal flap. This flap is performed using an automated micro-keratome in case of LASIK or a femtoseconde laser in case of FemtoLASIK
Afterwards, the correction is performed with the excimer laser.
These techniques make it possible to correct much serious impairments than with surface techniques: up to 12 diopters.
Their advantages lie in a greater postoperative comfort and in a much faster recovery than with surface techniques.
Learn more about cutting techniques with LASIK - FemtoLASIK
iN DEPTH TECHNIQUES WITH
DOUBLE CUTTING: RELEX / SMILE
Relex/SMILE is a special technique only developed by company Zeiss. It is sometimes presented as a technique without cutting, which is wrong.
lthough there is no cutting of a corneal cap or flap, it does involve a high-precision incision in the cornea and therefore two cutting planes.
The whole treatment is realized with the help of the Femtoseconde laser that performs a double cutting and a small connecting tunnel in the cornea. The surgeon will then use a forceps to remove the corneal tissue that has been precut with the femtosecond laser..
This technique can correct myopia up to 8 diopters. It has some small benefits but also a series of disadvantages.
Learn more about SMILE
PHATIC MYOPIC IMPLANTS
It is not always possible to correct myopia with a laser treatment: the impairment can be too important or the cornea too thin.
In this case, the placement of a phakic intra-ocular lens can correct the visual defect. The two best-known phakic lenses are the ICL implant from Staar and the Artisan implant from Ophtec.
Some ardent advocates of myopic implants put forward the excellent post-operative visual quality and the reversible character of treatment. Although risks are low, they are potentially more serious than laser surgery and, complications are not always reversible. We are convinced that these implants need to be reserved only for those patients who can not be considered for laser techniques.
Learn more about implants implants - lentilles intraoculaires phaques
LENS SURGERY
Finally, when the patient suffers a decreased visual acuity due to a cataract, the lens surgery can remove the cataract and place a lens that will correct the defect at the same time.
"Clear lens surgery" or crystalline lens removal without any cataract feature yet is not recommended. On the one hand, it exposes the more fragile eye of the myopic to an increased risk of retinal detachment and, on the other hand, it deprives the young patient of any accommodation (ability to focus for near vision)..
Learn more about lens surgery, multifocal implants and EDOF