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What quality of vision can I expect after LASIK surgery? Are the visual results guaranteed? |
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How do I know that my specific eye problems can be treated with LASIK surgery? |
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Am I too old/young for LASIK surgery? |
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Since when is the LASIK procedure been done; is the procedure still in the experimental stage? |
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Do one's eyes become lazy when wearing reading glasses after LASIK? |
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What is the long-term outcome of LASIK? |
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Do you have to repeat the LASIK procedure after a few years? |
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Does LASIK cause damage to the eye, or weaken the cornea? |
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Would there be any potential risk involved with the LASIK procedure? Is it possible to go blind? |
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Can LASIK cause a cataract, glaucoma, or other eye problems? Will LASIK affect further eye surgery, i.e. cataract, retinal detachment, or other eye problems that may develop later in life? |
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Does your refractive error regress faster after LASIK? |
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If one's eyes do regress after LASIK surgery, is it possible to wear spectacles or contact lenses, or is it possible to repeat the procedure? |
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How long after the LASIK procedure will it be safe to continue with your normal life-style? |
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Would there be any restrictions on the type of medication or eye drops that might be used after LASIK surgery? |
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What precautions should be taken after LASIK? |
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Will it harm my eyes post-operatively to work on a computer, watch TV, read a lot, etc.? |
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How often does one have to go for follow-up examinations after LASIK surgery? |
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How long after the LASIK procedure will I be able to drive my car, go to work, etc.? |
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| Q |
What quality of vision can I expect after LASIK surgery? Are the visual results guaranteed? |
| A |
No surgical procedure can be guaranteed. Most patients are able to drive a car the first day post-operatively. One might experience fluctuations in vision for the first few weeks, the amplitude of which is ever decreasing. Glare and halo's around lights might be experienced, but may not necessarily be present, as it is related to the magnitude of the refraction which was corrected (the larger the refractive error, the more likely these visual distortions, the smaller the refractive error, the less likely it is). These symptoms are comparable to that which many people experience when wearing glasses or contact lenses. Generally speaking, the visual quality post-operatively is as good as, or could even be better than the vision one obtain with spectacles, or soft contact lenses. Every case is, however unique, and realistic visual expectations for your eye problems will be discussed with you at the day of your first visit. |
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| Q |
How do I know that my specific eye problems can be treated with LASIK surgery? |
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To find out whether you are a candidate for surgery, the first step towards an informed decision is to make an appointment at the Optimed Eye and Laser Clinic, where you will receive an individual consultation with Dr. Potgieter and his staff. After initial testing is done, we will be able to tell you whether you will benefit from the surgery. |
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| Q |
Am I too old/young for LASIK surgery? |
| A |
The lower age limit to qualify for LASIK surgery is 20 years. There is no upper age limit (the oldest patient who received LASIK at this facility, was 76 years of age). |
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| Q |
Since when is the LASIK procedure been done; is the procedure still in the experimental stage? |
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LASIK surgery is done in South Africa since 1994. It is therefore no longer in the experimental phase, and has since been authorized by the FDA, a controlling body within the United States of America, for use within the USA. It has now evolved into the most common refractive surgical procedure world-wide, and is considered a proven, and reliable refractive surgical procedure that yields excellent visual results. |
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| Q |
Do one's eyes become lazy when wearing reading glasses after LASIK? |
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No. The need for reading glasses is due to the normal physiological changes inside the eye, which occurs after the age of 45 years in normal individuals. This condition is termed presbyopia, and affects all people beyond this age. The need for reading glasses is thus not due to the operation, but rather to the normal ageing changes of the crystalline lens. |
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| Q |
What is the long-term outcome of LASIK ? |
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After extensive clinical investigation, no adverse long-term effect could be demonstrated in properly selected cases. |
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| Q |
Do you have to repeat the LASIK procedure after a few years? |
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No. The procedure as such provides a stable refractive correction, provided the parameters for stability is obeyed during the pre-operative surgical planning. In most cases, if the refractive error is stable pre-operatively, it is not necessary to repeat the procedure. LASIK therefore provides a permanent solution to refractive errors, and will not cause further refractive changes in the short, as well as long-term. |
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| Q |
Does LASIK cause damage to the eye, or weaken the cornea? |
| A |
If done correctly, the corneal integrity is preserved through this technique. At the first day after surgery, it is often impossible to see any evidence of the corneal surgery with a slitlamp microscope. However, sometimes there might be slight redness of the eye in the early post-operative phase, which is of a temporary nature. |
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| Q |
Would there be any potential risk involved with the LASIK procedure? Is it possible to go blind? |
| A |
The potential risks are minimal (less than 0.5%), if the operation is performed in a systematized and careful manner. Should an intra-operative complication arise, it usually involves the creation of the lamellar flap.
The older technology with regards to flap creation, has lend itself to various problems with the creation thereof. We are fortunate to have access to a variety of keratomes to enable us to adapt the procedure to each and every individual. These include the latest state of the art ZyOptix XP keratome, which is comparable to Femtosecond laser technology in accuracy. All cases that have had the procedure done at this facility have had an improvement of their uncorrected visual acuity, including those few who had problems at the time of surgery.
Some other problems that might arise are early post-operative infection, dislocation of the flap, and misdirection of the most superficial layer of the cornea, the epithelium, into the interface under the flap. If the patient complies with the post-operative instructions, these risks are negligible and treatable. To date, with a track record of more than 10 years and several thousand of LASIK procedures at this facility, one patient suffered an infection, and was treated successfully with no harm to his vision. A few patients suffered epithelial ingrowth, but due to early recognition of the condition as a result of regular follow-up, all of these were treated successfully. The incidence of post-operative epithelial ingrowth is also statistically significant less with the use of the Hansatome, compared to the previous microkeratomes used within this facility, and since our use of the Zyoptix XP keratome in 2005, no patient suffered epithelial ingrowth to date. |
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| Q |
Can LASIK cause a cataract, glaucoma, or other eye problems? Will LASIK affect further eye surgery, i.e. cataract, retinal detachment, or other eye problems that may develop later in life? |
| A |
LASIK will not cause any of these eye problems, nor will it treat them. As LASIK does not weaken the structure of the eye, any other eye operation is possible after LASIK surgery. It is important, however, to inform your surgeon about the fact that LASIK was performed. As in some cases, the preparations for the new surgery might be influenced by the LASIK surgery (this is especially true in the case of cataract surgery, as the calculation of the lens power to be implanted into the eye during cataract surgery is affected by the LASIK procedure). |
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| Q |
Does your refractive error regress faster after LASIK? |
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No. LASIK has no influence on the normal refractive variations of the eye. |
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| Q |
If one's eyes do regress after LASIK surgery, is it possible to wear spectacles or contact lenses, or is it possible to repeat the procedure? |
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A second LASIK procedure (i.e. an enhancement procedure) is possible at any time after the initial surgery, provided there is enough stroma available to perform the additional procedure safely. Enhancements are usually only necessary when the initial refractive error was high or complex. However, glasses or contact lenses may also be worn after LASIK surgery should the need arise, without any risk to the eye. |
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| Q |
How long after the LASIK procedure will it be safe to continue with your normal life-style? |
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Sporting activities like jogging, tennis, golf, and aerobic exercise can proceed uninterrupted. However, contact sport should be avoided for approximately 6 months after the operation. Sports like squash needs to be practiced with safety goggles to protect the eyes should a squash ball or racquet hit you in the face. Swimming can be continued 4 weeks after the operation.
Eye make-up
Eyeshadow may be worn 1 week post-operative, but mascara and eyeliner should be avoided for 2 - 3 weeks. |
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| Q |
Would there be any restrictions on the type of medication or eye drops that might be used after LASIK surgery? |
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No. The post-operative eye treatment and directions on usage will be prescribed at the time of the operation. After the prescribed treatment is finished, any other treatment may be taken as required. |
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| Q |
What precautions should be taken after LASIK? |
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During the first 3 to 6 months, one should refrain from rubbing your eyes. It is also recommended that one should avoid getting water in the eyes for the first month. Otherwise, no special precautions are necessary, and one may continue, within reason, as if no surgery was performed. |
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| Q |
Will it harm my eyes post-operatively to work on a computer, watch TV, read a lot, etc.? |
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No. The patient may continue with normal everyday activities as usual. However, should you find difficulty performing certain activities, you should tailor your activities to your ability to cope with them. |
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| Q |
How often does one have to go for follow-up examinations after LASIK surgery? |
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The standard post-operative visits which are scheduled for each patient, is at Day 1, Week 1 and Month 3. However, since we are committed to provide ongoing care, we prefer patients to visit us on an annual basis, not only to check the operation, but also to monitor the other phenomena of myopia within the eye, as these risks remain unchanged after the operation. |
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| Q |
How long after the LASIK procedure will I be able to drive my car, go to work, etc.? |
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As soon as the visual standards required for driving a motor vehicle is achieved (20/40, or 85% vision), the driving of a car is allowed. Most patients obtain this visual standard at day 1 post-operatively. Night driving may, however, be a problem for the first few weeks, as patients experience glare and halos, which decreases over time. As soon as one feels capable, you may return to work. |
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