Is LASIK surgery safe?

You might have been considering LASIK surgery for many years, or you might just be dipping your toe in the amazing world of laser eye surgery. Getting out of those pesky glasses or contact lenses seems like a dream- but how safe is it to do so? Almost all our patients have a concern is, “Is LASIK surgery safe?”

LASIK surgery is an incredibly safe procedure! It is one of the safest elective procedures performed worldwide. It was first performed in clinical practice in the 1980s, almost 30 years ago, and since then, the technology has evolved and improved to provide incredibly remarkable, predictable and safe outcomes. A recent study found that 95.4% of patients are incredibly satisfied after laser surgery.^[1] Out of the whopping 16.3 million people on which laser surgery is performed, these results affirm the overwhelming success of the procedure.

What happens during LASIK surgery?

It is important to understand how LASIK surgery is performed in grasping just how safe the procedure is. All the action happens on the front surface of your eye, called the cornea. First, a small flap is created on the cornea using a femtosecond laser. After this flap is created, a computer-controlled excimer laser is then used to reshape the corneal surface by shooting highly precise pulses of ultraviolet light. Once the cornea is reshaped, the flap is repositioned over the newly reshaped cornea without the need for any sutures.

The innovation of the femtosecond laser in 1990 is just one of many key pivotal steps in establishing the safety and efficiency of LASIK surgery. The femtosecond laser is the key to blade-free laser surgery. This means lasers, rather than blades, are used to create the corneal flap, ensuring unmatched precision and safety.

What if I move my eyes?

Another concern is what happens if you move your eyes during laser surgery. There’s no issue whatsoever if you move your eyes! Modern-day laser machines are equipped with eye-tracking technology. This means the laser machine immediately picks up any micro movement that your eye makes with zero latency, ensuring the highest accuracy possible. The Schwind Amaris laser machine in our clinic utilises 7-D eye tracking. This means all 7 dimensions of your eye’s movements are tracked, including x, y, z, horizontal, vertical movements and cyclotorsion! Any sudden eye movements also trigger the laser machine to cease firing automatically.

All our patients undergo a thorough assessment of their eyes to determine their suitability before proceeding with laser eye surgery. Not all patients are suitable for laser surgery, unfortunately. On the day of your assessment, factors such as the below will be taken into consideration:

• The thickness of your cornea
• Your existing prescription
• Any existing eye conditions

This means that when we find you suitable for laser surgery, this is with the knowledge that you are a 100% perfect candidate.

We would be delighted to address any questions or queries you may have about laser surgery. Book a free laser eye assessment or call us at (02) 9230 0010 to determine your suitability for laser surgery now.

 

^[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19344821/#:~:text=The%20overall%20patient%20satisfaction%20rate,(286%20of%20297%20subjects).