Before Excimer Laser
- Ophthalmology is one of the fastest advancing fields in the world and uses very advanced technologies. Perhaps the most important thing to consider when deciding on any kind of eye surgery, including laser surgery, is the technology to be used and the surgeon's experience and skill in this field.
- We are not only talking about the devices used in surgery, but the technology of all kinds of devices starting from the devices used in examinations is very important. For example, we are talking about corneal maps, your topography device should also show the back side of the cornea, in measurements made with devices that do not show the back side of the cornea, diseases starting from the back side (most importantly keratoconus) are missed and if you decide to operate only with the front face map, you may encounter irreversible problems in the future.
- As you can appreciate, these high-tech devices are very expensive technologies. However, the importance of each of them for the patient is indisputable.
- For this reason, it is indispensable that a surgery applied to a completely healthy eye, such as laser treatment, must be performed with the most advanced technological infrastructure.
- The first thing to be considered here is the use of bladeless laser, that is, intralasic technology, but is only the bladeless method sufficient? NO.
- Bladeless laser is only the incision stage of the surgery, the other important stage is the technology of the laser device used in the second stage, which we call excimer laser, where the number is reset and a new shape is given to the cornea.
- It is very important whether this device has a system called eye tracker that follows the eye during the operation. Because eye movement is inevitable during the operation, but if your device does not have an eye tracker system, then the device will apply the laser to completely different points and the result will result in loss of focus, which we call decentralization.
- The newer technology your excimer laser device is, the shorter time it will take and the less thinning it will make the cornea. For example, in old technology devices, while the device can thin 90-100 microns for myopia number 4, new devices can do this with 50-60 microns, which provides very little thinning in the cornea and provides serious benefits in terms of future eye health. Because it is desired that your cornea remains as thick as possible after surgery.
- Perhaps the last thing the patient should pay attention to in these surgeries performed on a healthy eye should be the cost.
- If the price of a laser is very attractive, unfortunately, each of the factors that reduce the cost work against the patient.
- Starting from the examination devices, second-hand devices that are no longer used in the world, old type topography devices, the laser method where the incision is made with a knife, the use of disposable knives tens or even hundreds of times, compromising sterilization in order to reduce the cost, the use of old technology or second-hand instruments.
