Excimer Laser

What is Excimer Laser?

Surgical Correction of Refractive Errors

The treatment of refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism is generally called refractive surgery.

In myopia, the rays coming into the eye focus in front of the retina and distant objects appear blurrier than nearby ones. The cause of myopia is either the anterior-posterior length of the eye or the corneal refraction being greater than necessary. With 'Excimer Laser', the cornea is given a new shape and the rays coming into the eye are focused on the retina (the nerve layer within the eye responsible for vision).

In hypermetropia, the rays coming into the eye are focused behind the retina because the front-back length of the eye is shorter than normal, the corneal refraction is low, or a combination of both. Thus, we cannot see nearby objects clearly. This condition can also be treated with laser.

Astigmatism is often due to deformity of the cornea. The rays coming into the eye are focused at different points away from the retina, and both near and far objects are not seen clearly. In astigmatism, the cornea can be reshaped with 'Excimer Laser' and the image can be focused on the retina.

Who Can Have Refraction Surgery with 'Excimer Laser'?

Many patients with refractive errors have clear vision thanks to glasses and contact lenses. However, some adults need the clearest possible vision without glasses due to their jobs and careers. For some patients, it may be difficult or dangerous for their eyes to use contact lenses due to their eye structure or environmental reasons.

Apart from all this, people may want to get rid of their contact lenses or glasses and live without glasses. Studies show that 75% of patients with refractive errors wish to see without glasses or contact lenses, while others want refractive surgery for their cosmetic appearance. Refractive surgery procedures are applied to solve the problems of all these patients.