Eye laser surgery

After years of constant research, eye doctors and engineers have recently found the solution how to return clear vision to people, who suffer from vision deterioration; without doing away with the need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. The technology was named LASIK (stands for Laser – Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis). Very soon after it’s development, it garnered the trust and popularity of eye doctors and their patients because of its rapid effect, high success rate and stable results, and a quick rehabilitation period. Today, Laser Eye Surgery is one of the most common elective surgical procedures in the world, with over 1 million patients undergoing this vision correction treatment every year in America alone.
Since 1999, when we first established laser eye surgery in the Baltic region, thousands of patients have acquired a completely new life quality without dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Lasik is an outpatient procedure that is intended to reduce the person’s dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The actual procedure takes only a few minutes, is relatively painless, and allows the patient to get back to their everyday routine, such as working and driving, usually by the next day. Using a laser, such vision problems as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism can be successfully corrected. During the surgery the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, is permanently changed using an excimer laser. The cornea works in the same way as the lens of a camera that focuses light to create an image on film. Imperfections in the focusing power of the eye, that are concentrated mainly in cornea, are called refractive errors. In this case, the image on the retina is out of focus, and the aim of the Lasik procedure is to return the image to normality upon the retina by correcting the imperfections of the cornea surface.

A special instrument, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap in the cornea. The flap is followed back revealing the stroma, the mid-section of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of stroma creating a new refractive surface that is programmed individually for the patient. Then the flap is replaced. There is no sutures needed, there is no blood and no pain during the operation. Almost immediately after the operation the patient can find his vision significantly improved (although it may take several hours), achieving maximal stable results after 3 months. During the rehabilitation period there are almost no limitations for living an active lifestyle.

If the patient for some reason IS NOT A GOOD CANDIDATE for a laser eye surgery, IT DOES NOT MEAN that there is no way to reduce or eliminate the use of eyeglass dependence. Our clinic provides surgical alternatives of acquiring a clear vision – the implantation of phacic lenses (ICL or Implantable Contact Lenses). ICL’s are, in fact, a great opportunity for those who are not ideal candidates for LASIK.