In the LASIK/Femto-LASIK procedure, the eye is carefully sucked in and the cornea flattened as a result. A fine round lamella 0.11-0.12 mm thick is then cut parallel to the corneal surface. This so-called LASIK flap remains connected to the rest of the cornea via a type of hinge (hinge). The flap is then carefully opened by hand with a spatula. The now exposed corneal bed is modeled with micrometer precision using an excimer laser so that the defective vision is compensated for. An eye tracker always makes it possible to treat in the right place, even when the eye is moving. The flap is then folded back to its original location and rinsed with a sterile solution. A bandage contact lens loaded with antibiotics and cortisone is used. Even immediately after surgery, vision is significantly better than before without glasses.
In the original form of LASIK, the flap is cut with a fine knife. With Femto-LASIK, on the other hand, the flap is cut with high precision using a so-called femtosecond laser; no blades are required. The advantage of Femto-LASIK over LASIK is that with the femtosecond laser, the thickness of the flap can be planned much more precisely than with the microkeratom, which does not always cut the same depth. The thickness of the cornea under the flap determines the stability after the procedure and can be precisely predicted with Femto-LASIK. As a result, even larger vision defects can be safely treated with Femto-LASIK. In principle, the risks associated with Femto-LASIK are even lower than with the original LASIK procedure, which is why we only mention Femto-LASIK for safety reasons.
For inconspicuous corneas with sufficient corneal thickness, LAISK/Femto-LASIK is used to correct minor to moderate vision defects
The healing process after Femto-LASIK is very short. Since the cornea is still slightly swollen and a contact lens is used to protect it, you will see quite sharp but still dim immediately after the operation. Slight blinding and a feeling of sand in the eyes may occur, and individual red dots in the conjunctiva may be visible.
Since the procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, you should be picked up by an accompanying adult, as visual acuity may still be reduced after the operation. Your ability to react may also be reduced by narcotics, painkillers and sedatives.
Use prescribed medications regularly.
When the vacuum ring is put on, there is a slight pressure on the eye for approximately one minute and the vision becomes dark. Depending on the anatomy of the face, there may also be slight pressure in the area of the nose and eyelids.
In the first few hours after surgery, the vision is relatively sharp but still dim, low light can cause glare. On the first day after surgery, vision is usually significantly clearer and sharper and continues to improve over the following days.
In over 95% of treatments, there is no more defective vision after surgery. The remaining 4% have a slight residual error that is not annoying. Only in very rare cases is further surgery necessary. This is usually the case with major corneal curvatures and can therefore be detected in advance.
Yes, as long as the cornea does not become too thin, as corneal tissue is removed during every laser procedure. However, this is only very rarely necessary.
If the eyeglass values are stable for at least six months before the procedure, it can be assumed that the laser correction will also remain stable.
From around 50, the can presbyopia enter and vision in the vicinity slowly deteriorates.
From around 60 years of age, the natural lens can become cloudy, the so-called Cataract causes light to be refracted differently and vision deteriorates. Here can only be achieved by a cataract surgery The vision is improved again.
In principle, the earlier the eyes are operated on, the longer you can benefit from the absence of glasses or contact lenses. However, the prerequisite is that the visual defect does not continue to increase before surgery. This is often only the case in the late twenties.
Between 40 and 50 years of age, the presbyopia or presbyopia, which cannot be prevented even by LASIK surgery. Reading glasses must then either be worn or one eye must be corrected for proximity (monovision).
From the age of 35, we recommend making the non-executive eye slightly short-sighted (-0.5 to -0.75 dpt). The non-guide eye therefore sees a bit less sharply in the distance than the guide eye. The advantage is that you can later when the presbyopia If you have an undercorrected eye, you can see more clearly in the vicinity. This condition of slightly unevenly corrected eyes is called mini monovision and aims to delay the need for reading glasses.
If necessary, this mini monovision could be reinforced later with another procedure to extend the freedom from glasses.
During the preliminary examination, we check whether this mini-monovision is tolerated by the patient. If the undercorrected eye interferes with the visual impression, we recommend that you completely correct the visual defect in both eyes, with the result that you will need reading glasses earlier.
Especially in patients with large pupils, after Femto-LASIK, bright light sources are perceived differently in the dark than before. For example, round halos or star effects (star bursts) can occur in the area of the light sources. As a rule, these phenomena do not interfere or only interfere during the first few months after the procedure, because the brain quickly gets used to them.
Especially in people who have had dry eyes before the procedure, this feeling can intensify after Femto-LASIK. In severe cases, we advise against LASIK and recommend surface treatment instead (PRK/Transprk) or the Implantation of additional lenses (PIOL).
Since LASIK has been carried out since 1990, long-term risks can also be well estimated.
The most common risks include:
Seletene risks
Yes, LASIK/Femto-LASIK is performed simultaneously on both eyes by default. If desired, one eye at a time can also be operated on at intervals of 1 to 4 weeks. However, most customers want treatment on both eyes at the same time.
Most complications occur during or shortly after surgery, so monitoring on the first day after surgery is particularly important.
Femto-LASIK removes corneal tissue, i.e. the biomechanics and thus the stability of the cornea can change as a result of the treatment. Any weakening of the cornea (keratectasia) can be identified and treated at an early stage through annual checks.
Several supplementary insurance plans provide for cost sharing for refractive procedures.