FAQ

• How successful is INTRALASIK?
• What about the long term, will my vision change?
• What happens when I get older, will my vision change?
• Are there risks in having the procedure?
• What does the Laser Vision Correction Program cover?
• Is the procedure covered by Health Insurance?

How successful is INTRALASIK?

The goal of treatment is to reduce dependency on glasses and contact lenses. LASIK has a proven track record of accomplishing this and is now the most favored procedure for correction of a wide range. With Centre for sight's Laser vision correction program. we make a commitment to get you to a level of 6/12 (20/40) or better - enough to function without glasses to watch TV, play sport and take up occupations where good vision is necessary. Your consultant will discuss what can be achieved in your individual case at the time of your consultation.The limitations of the operation if applicable and the risks, benefits and alternatives will be discussed with you.

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What about the long term, will my vision change?

LASIK the bladed procedure has been performed since 1989. Tens of thousands of cases have been performed by without long term problems. In 2000 in the US, 1,000,000 underwent LASIK. The Excimer laser has been shown to be safe and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA.The more sophisticated, safer and more accurate INTRALASIK procedure performed at Centre for Sight has been commercially used since 2002 and as of Aug 2005, over 400,000 procedures have been performed. The extremely low complication rate and remarkable visual outcomes have been reported by the majority of users. The improved safety profile provides further reassurance about long term visual stability.

Based on scientific research and follow-up of patients treated in the late 1980’s, experts around the world are sure that there is no long term effect of the treatment that might result in a change in correction. If any change does take place it is usually within the 6 weeks stabilisation period after surgery. From this experience, and our knowledge of the cornea, we believe that when performed within the correct guidelines, by an experienced and well-trained corneal surgeon, there will be no long term effect.

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What happens when I get older, will my vision change?

When we reach our mid-forties, the fine focussing mechanism of the lens within our eyes does not function as well. As a result of this .All of us will require Reading or a bifocal segment in our glasses. Laser eye surgery corrects the eye and makes it normal. Therefore it is quite probable that you will require glasses for reading fine print when you reach your mid-forties.

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What complications can occur with INTRALASIK ?

INTRALASIK provides a measure of safety well beyond traditional LASIK and serious flap (and visually significant) complications just do not occur.

Infection is RARE in all laser eye surgical procedures. Centre for Sight has always treated each eye with separate instrumentation and continues to do so with Intralase to decrease the risk of infection further. Furthermore Intralasik uses disposable instruments for one time use only further increasing this level of safety.

Dry Eye

All laser patients develop some degree of dry eye which improves over time. During the first few months following surgery, those affected will have to use artifical tear preparations (Systane) frequently.

Patients likely to be severely affected are identified at the time of consultation and either treated first for dry eye or declined for surgery

INTRALASIK has been shown to induce less dry eye than Bladed LASIK - yet another advantage !

Overcorrection, Undercorrection and Regression

This is a possibility and occurs rarely with INTRALASIK. If this does occur an enhancement or retreatment may be necessary 3 months after the procedure. To reassure you, this occurs rarely at Centre for Sight and for shortsightedness, less than 1% of our patients required an enhancement with Intralasik.

Night vision disturbances

At Centre for Sight we go through considerable checks to avoid this issue and have measured pupil sizes since we first started doing Lasik (1995). We also check for aberrations where indicated and will suggest the optimal treatment for each patient individually.

All patients will experience some night vision disturbance soon after the procedure and this improves with time

We at Centre for Sight are proud of our long track record of safety which we achieve through very careful patient selection and appropriate treatment to suit the individual. We are proud to be a Centre of Excellence setting standards for the best in laser vision correction. A testament to our expertise is our relationship as consultants to the ophthalmic industry, second opinions and consultations to patients and providing advice to doctors all over the world from USA, Middle and Far East, Europe and Africa

Are there risks in having the procedure?

The chance of having a complication that will permanently reduce vision has been documented to be less than 1%. In good surgical hands at a reputable centre, the chances are considerably lower. There have not been any reports of patients going permanently blind from INTRALASIK.

At Centre for Sight we have strict protocols for the care and maintenance of all equipment. All ur surgeons and nurses undergo rigorous training and follow strict protocols and procedures. By adopting such stringent guidelines we have ben able to minimise risk and have achieved consistently good outcomes.

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What does the Centre for Sight Laser Vision Correction Program cover?

We have three fees depending on the type of INTRALASIK correction procedure. This is a single GLOBAL fee which does not vary depending on your prescription, includes the following services:

• The laser procedure and initial prescription medications.
• All post-operative care for a period of 12 months, which includes eye examinations and related tests.
• Enhancements up to 12 months following the initial procedure.

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Is the procedure covered by Health Insurance?

Most health insurance companies do not cover LASIK surgery.