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Last Updated: Feb 24, 2020
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Refractive Surgery For Myopia And ICL - Know More About It!

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Dr. Roopali NerlikarOphthalmologist • 30 Years Exp.MBBS, DNB - Ophthalmology, Fellowship In Glaucoma, FRCS - Ophthalmology
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Myopia is a refractive defect in vision, which mainly occurs when light does not focus on the retina of the eye. Myopia, also called short sightedness is the condition where distant objects look obscure or are blurred. This is because the light is focused in front of the retina rather than onto it, which causes blurring of the distant objects. The occurrence of myopia is rapidly increasing globally

Causes

1. Genetic predisposition

2. Children are diagnosed with myopia usually between 6 to 12 years of age. During this phase, a child experiences a growth spurt, and the body undergoes several changes. The eyes are no exception to this rule as the shape of the eyes change too. Extra elongation of the eyeball results in myopia.

3. In Adults, constantly staring at a computer/mobile screen at a stretch can tire out your visual apparatus. Once this happens, the eyes will try to adjust and consequently, myopia results

Treatment

Use of dilute atropine eye drops daily at bedtime can slow down myopia growth in children, along with increased outdoor activity and reduced screen time. The focus is improved with spectacles or in older children contact lenses.

Refractive Surgery for Myopia - Refractive surgery is an effective method to eliminate the need for spectacles/contact lenses. There are various surgical procedures meant for adjusting the eye's focusing capability. Laser procedures mainly alter the shape of the cornea (the transparent layer forming the front of the eye), LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is a widely performed surgery used to reshape the cornea of the eyes. Other procedures include Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), Laser-assisted sub epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) and Epithelial laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (Epi-LASIK).

Benefits of Laser procedures

Refractive surgery is a good option for the patients because-

1. Offers a safe and permanent alternative to spectacles

2. It reduces/eliminates the dependence on glasses or contact lens

3. Allow eligibility of certain employments to be met

4. Allows better peripheral field of vision unhindered by the edges of the spectacles

Rare Complications of Laser procedures

Scarring, Infections, Overcorrected or under corrected vision, Loss of the corneal flap or the need for a corneal graft.

Alternate Procedure For Myopia Treatment -

Another procedure for correction of Myopia includes embedding a lens inside your eye Phakic IOL/implantable contact lens) Implantable Contact Lens.

The ICL (Implantable Contact Lens) is a ‘refractive error solution’ for those who are not eligible for laser procedures. ICL is a soft contact lens implanted into the eye through a small incision. The procedure takes only 5-10 minutes. Since it is like a permanent fixture of the eye, there is no need to remove it frequently, unlike any normal contact lens, which requires a lot of maintenance.

Advantages

1. Provides good quality and sharp vision

2. Can be reversed

3. It is invisible from the outside

4. Recovery and healing is fast

 

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!
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