What You Need to Know About Laser Eye Surgery


Suitability



Am I Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery?


If you are considering laser eye surgery, you must undergo a thorough eye examination at Vision Laser to determine your suitability. Only after this examination, in consultation with you, can a decision be made as to whether or not refractive surgery is appropriate and suitable. In particular, your eye specialist can diagnose any conditions that may make surgery a poor choice for you, and recommend an alternative solution.



Most Suitable Candidate


  1. You are over 18 years of age and have had a stable glasses or contact lens prescription for at least two years.
  2. You are affected by one of the common types of refractive error such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness, or astigmatism.
  3. You do not suffer from any disease, ocular or general, that may affect the effectiveness of the surgery, or the ability to heal properly and quickly. You are in good general health.
  4. You are adequately informed about the benefits and risks of the procedure, as well as any suitable alternatives. These include non-surgical solutions, such as glasses, contact lenses, or orthokeratology (ortho-K), and other surgical procedures, such as radial keratotomy (RK), conductive keratoplasty (CK), lens implant, or lensectomy with intra-ocular lens implants.
  5. You have realistic expectations, and understand that the surgery should reduce your dependency on glasses and contact lenses, but may not completely eliminate them.




Less Suitable Candidate


The surgeon may still be able to perform the surgery safely in some cases, provided you and the surgeon have discussed the risks, benefits and expected results.


  1. You have certain eye problems or a history of eye problems, such as amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (muscle imbalance), severe dry eyes, previous eye surgery or injury, or any recurrent, residual or active eye conditions which may affect healing. Other conditions that you should tell your doctor include keloid scarring with previous surgical healing, back problems, claustrophobia or other psychological problems, which may affect the surgery or recovery.
  2. You are undergoing treatment with medications such as steroids and immuno-suppressants. Any medication that renders you immuno-compromised can adversely affect the healing process.
  3. You are suffering from conditions or diseases that slow healing (e.g. auto-immune or collagen-vascular disorders, uncontrolled diabetes), or certain eye viruses including herpes simplex and herpes zoster.
  4. You have significant scarring of the cornea.




May be a Suitable Candidate in Future


Prevailing circumstances may make you unsuitable for laser eye surgery immediatley, but do not necessarily preclude future treatment.

  1. You are under 18 years old.
  2. You have unstable vision, which means that there have been fluctuations within the past two years.
  3. You are pregnant or nursing. Women may be eligible for laser eye surgery two months after nursing has been discontinued. This is to allow for stabilisation of hormone levels so as to ensure effective surgery and prescriptions.
  4. You have a history of ocular herpes within one year prior to having surgery. Surgery can be considered after one year has passed since diagnosis of the condition.
  5. You have refractive errors outside the range for treatment with current available technology:
  • Short-sightedness (myopia) over -12.0 diopters.
  • Long-sightedness (hyperopia) over +6 diopters.
  • Astigmatism higher than 6 diopters.


    • Primary source: The Eye Surgery Education Council 'LASIK Surgery Screening Guidelines for Patients' Medical Advisory Board.




    How Successful is Laser Eye Surgery?


    Nevertheless, people interested in having the laser eye surgery need to keep in mind that it is not possible to exactly predict the level of vision that will occur after surgery. This is because, like any surgery, the healing characteristics of your eyes are not the same as another persons. However, based on the clinical measurements obtained at the initial consultation, your surgeon will be able to fairly closely indicate the expected result.


    Experience has shown that, after LASIK treatment, the vast majority of people with low to moderate short-sightedness (myopia) achieve 20/40 vision or better, which is the level required to pass the vision test for obtaining a driver's licence in most States. Many people can and do achieve 20/20 vision. However, even if 20/20 is not achieved, most people find that laser eye surgery has improved their vision to an extent that they are able to perform daily activities without glasses or contact lenses, and they enjoy significant freedom from having improved their vision.


    Occasionally, the outcome may not meet all expectations. In some instances, a follow-up procedure, called an enhancement, can help to achieve more precise vision correction. If you are not happy with your outcome you should talk to your surgeon because there is often something that can be done to improve the situation.


    At Vision Laser, the vast majority of people are very satisfied with their results and the freedom it provides. In fact they often tell us - “I wish I had this done years ago”.


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    Non Suitable



    Certain factors and circumstances completely preclude you from laser eye surgery.

    1. You have a disease such as cataracts, advanced glaucoma, a corneal disease, a corneal thinning disorder (e.g. keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration), or a certain other pre-existing eye disease that affects or threatens vision.
    2. You do not give informed consent. Before surgery can proceed, you must adequately discuss with your surgeon the procedure and associated risks and benefits, and give consent prior to undergoing surgery.
    3. You have unrealistic expectations. You must understand the risks of surgery, and that the quality of the final outcome and healing process vary between individuals.



    What if I am not Suitable for Laser Eye Surgery?


    Although LASIK laser eye surgery is by far the most widely used type of surgical technique for correcting short-sightedness, long-sightedness, and astigmatism, not everybody's eyes are suitable for this type of laser procedure. For example, your prescription may be too high for laser treatment, or your cornea may be too thin or it may have an irregular contour.


    In such cases, there may be a non-laser surgical technique that can be used and your doctor will discuss these options with you. The most commonly used non-laser techniques are:






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    Risks




    What are the Risks of Laser Eye Surgery?


    Laser eye surgery with an Excimer laser was first performed on humans in 1987. Since that time, it is estimated that over 16 million people around the world have had laser eye surgery. Medical research has demonstrated that laser eye surgery is a very safe and effective procedure. However, as with any type of surgery, complications can occur. Most of these potential complications either resolve by themselves or are treatable.



    What is the Chance of Developing a Severe Complication?


    Serious complications are very infrequent, and the risk of blindness or significant loss of vision from LASIK is extremely small. Some complications can delay full recovery of the eyes for several weeks or months, but it is highly unlikely they will result in serious or permanent loss of vision. At Vision Laser there has never been an incidence of blindness as a result of laser eye surgery. Less than 1% of patients experience serious problems that have the potential to significantly harm the vision.


    What Side-Effects and Complications Can Occur?


    Use the table below to find out about certain complications that can occur, and how they can be treated. This list is intended as a guide only and is not intended to be a complete list. Fortunately, most side effects and complications resolve within three months of surgery and they do not result in long-term vision problems.


    Possible Side Effects

    Possible Complications

    Treatment
    Under-correction or over-correction –- blurry vision persists After undergoing laser eye surgery, about 2% of patients feel they need to use glasses occasionally. The chances of this occurring for a particular patient will depend largely on the magnitude of the treated prescription.


    		Glasses or contact lenses when needed

    It may be possible to have laser eye surgery again (called an enhancement), but not in all cases.
    Reduced “best visual acuity” -- less crisp vision than with glasses or contact lenses Your best vision, with glasses or contacts, may not be as good after surgery as it was before. This means that your “best-aided visual acuity”, which is the highest level of vision you can currently achieve with your glasses or contact lenses, may be diminished after surgery.


    		It may be possible to undergo laser eye surgery again, (called an enhancement) but not in all cases.

    Corneal flap complications

    		 Corneal flap problems occur in about 1% of LASIK procedures. This could prolong eye recovery, and reduce best visual acuity. In some cases it may be advisable to undergo a second procedure the day following surgery, or some weeks later to rectify the flap complication.


    Glare and light sensitivity



    		 You may experience greater sensitivity to sunlight and glare than usual. Wait for your eyes to settle and adjust, usually within a few days.
    Starburst or night haloes You may experience a halo effect, or rings, around street lights and car lights at night. Wait for your eyes to settle and adjust. The starbursts or night haloes will decrease with time, although they may not disappear completely in some cases.
    Discomfort, dryness, and fluctuation in vision
    		 You may experience watering eyes and swollen lids during the initial post-operative period. This is not uncommon.

    You may feel some pain initially after your procedure, although this is unusual. In the first few weeks after surgery your eyes may feel dry.
    You may experience fluctuation in your vision. This is normal during the first month of the healing process.



    		Wait for your eyes to settle and adjust.

    You may find taking pain tablets helpful. These will be provided to you. Use as instructed.

    Lubricant eye drops (artificial tears) are given to reduce the feeling of dryness.
    Infection –- red, oozing, or painful eyes



    		 The chance of getting a serious infection seems to be no higher than with long-term contact lens wear. The risk is highest in the first 48 hours after surgery. You are given antibiotic drops during surgery, and for the first week after surgery to minimise the risk of infection.

    Unknown long-term side effects. Injury.


    		 The long-term side-effects of laser eye surgery are unknown for certain. We are not aware of any reports of serious late-onset complications since the first laser cases were performed in 1987.
    Experience and evidence indicate that, once the eye has healed from laser eye surgery, it is no more susceptible to injury or infection from normal activities than an untreated eye.




    Presbyopia –- need for reading glasses or bifocals

    		 You may need reading glasses or bifocals in the future, as a result of developing presbyopia. This condition reduces the eyes' ability to focus on near objects, and it will occur around age 45 whether you have laser surgery or not.


    		You will require reading glasses or bifocals, unless you opt to have a monovision correction at the time of laser surgery.

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    Costs




    What Does Laser Eye Surgery Cost?


    The cost of your surgery will vary depending on the procedure you have. During your initial consultation we will discuss the options and costs with you.


    As a guide our laser eye surgery fees range from $2,500 per eye to $3,250 per eye. Please consult your Vision Laser clinic for full details.


    The laser eye surgery fee includes:


  • Laser facility fees
  • Surgeon’s fees
  • Optometrist’s fees
  • Post operative medications
  • 4 post-operative visits at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months
  • Enhancements (if required) for at least the first 24 months (see clinic for details)


    • The cost of laser eye surgery cannot be claimed from Medicare or from most Private Health Funds. However, you may be eligible for a Medical Expenses rebate on your tax return. Please check with your tax accountant.


    Please note: The initial assessment is not part of the surgery fee, please contact your clinic for details.



    Payment Plans


    At Vision Laser, we understand that the decision to have laser eye surgery is a big one. The financial cost of the procedure needs careful consideration and needs to be balanced with the real benefits that can be obtained with laser eye surgery. Many Australians who believe that laser eye surgery is outside of their budget are missing out on the wonderful benefits that freedom from glasses or contact lenses provides.


    We offer a range of realistic and affordable financing options to help you experience the freedom of clear vision:

  • "Interest-free" payment plans
  • Extended payment plans


    • To find out more about Vision Payment Plans click here.


    Both of these plans are provided by GE CareCredit, which is a credit facility offered by GE Finance Australasia Pty Ltd, trading as GE Money.


    12 month interest-free payment plan available *


    Click the calculator below to estimate your monthly payments
    CareCredit Repayment Estimate Calculator


    Call 1800-1-LASER or email your clinic for further details about this offer or the extended payment plan.


    *Available to approved applicants only. Fees and charges apply. Minimum amount financed $500.


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