Consultation

Your initial consultation includes a full eye examination. This consists of medical and ophthalmic (eye) history.
In all cases
personal interview and examination with a consultant eye surgeon who performs the surgery Refraction
Topography and laser interferometry
Pachymetry (corneal thickness measurement)
Explanation of surgery, including likely outcomes and possible complications, and as much time as you require to have all your questions answered.
Don't worry about interrupting.Our surgeons don't mind! Topics of discussion will include all the necessary information for people to make an informed choice whether they wish to proceed with surgery. As consultations follow a natural conversation the order of these topics may change, however it is important that patients feel that all topics have been discussed to their satisfaction. There are some general conditions that make you unsuitable for surgery.
These are
Under 18 except for C3R/ UV-X for keratoconus
Pregnancy
Breast feeding
Uncontrolled diabetes
Unable to cope with local anaesthetic drops
There are some specific contra-indications, your consultant will check these before going ahead. You need to arrive punctually at your appointment. Please notify us of any foreseen delay. Please bear in mind that the clinic maintains the right to charge for last minute cancellation.

Procedures

Very few clinics are able to offer such a variety of treatments. After a thorough eye examination, we will discuss the various techniques with you and together select the one which is appropriate for you. The essential requirements for any surgical procedure are safety, effectiveness and predictability.
The aim of most refractive surgery is to change the shape of the eye, usually by changing the shape of the cornea which carries about 80% of the focusing power. In other methods, such as lens implants, additional correction is used, like an internal contact lens.
This can be done in a number of ways. We have outlined the basic options here, but it is very important that the right technique that suits you and your lifestyle is chosen together with the surgeon.

-Creating permanent correction by implanting a lens
There are many different kinds of lens depending on where in the eye they are implanted, how they are fixed and what their main purpose is. At the LCRS we use both anterior chamber and iris clip phakic lenses (Verisyse or Artisan style) for people under 45 (reversible) which both sit in front of the iris, and lens replacements in RLE or cataract surgery sit behind the iris just like the natural lens (Alcon ReStor multifocal lenses for near and distance vision or IQ wavefront lenses for pure distance vision).

-Improving focusing power by stimulating the muscles or increasing flexibility
These methods involve some form of implant in another part of the eye, the sclera (the white of the eye) or edge of the cornea (INTACS), leaving the visual zone and line of sight alone therefore avoiding scarring risks.
These types of procedure are reversible.

-Reshaping the cornea by
1. Incisional diamond microsurgery involves making microscopic incisions less than 0.5mm deep and 3mm long. No tissue is removed, and this heals in a new position to correct short sight or astigmatism. No stitches are required and the results are almost immediate. INTACS flatten a steep cornea in a reversible way. C3R/ UV-X stiffens the cornea with ultra-violet light.

2. CK (conductive keratoplasty by radio waves) uses no cuts or tissue removal to correct long sight, astigmatism and the need for reading glasses in the over 40’s. DTK (heats spots by low power laser) for unusually thin corneas.

3. Keratectomy (LASIK, LASEK or PRK) removes part of the cornea by excimer laser usually after cutting a flap 9mm across. It operates over the centre of the visual zone and it is possible to lift the flap even years later. LASIK weakens the front of the eye by approximately 40%.There are also commonly problems with dry eye, scarring on the line of sight, loss of night vision and, more rarely, surgically induced ectasia (keratoconus)


On the Day of the Surgery

On the day of surgery, your surgeon will check your eyes again and you will have a chance to discuss any further questions.
You will have an opportunity to review the informed consent form we ask you to sign.
There are specific points that our surgeons must include in a consultation.
Please do not sign the form until you are satisfied on all points.
To help you relax, and to calm any nerves, you will receive a mild tranquiliser.
The operating suite (designed in conjunction with the Healthcare Commission) is right next to the consulting room, so you will walk through when you are ready. For hygiene and safety reasons they ask you to put on a cap, a gown and shoe covers.
You will lie down on a comfortable and adjustable couch for your operation. Above your head, you'll see a bright light.
With the combination of drops, the bright light and your position, you won't actually see the operation itself. Most people find this knowledge quite comforting.
Your surgeon will apply the necessary anaesthetic drops, clean the area around the eye and apply the spring to hold your eye open so you need not worry about blinking This stops you from accidentally blinking.
It is in our interest (and obviously yours too) to make sure you don't experience any pain during the operation. (It would also make the surgeon's work more difficult), so we take every possible step to avoid this and you will be able to tell us if you need more anaesthetic.
During the operation you'll find that when your eye is touched, your vision becomes blurred, but you may be able to see things coming into focus towards the end. (Not everybody experiences this.)
The operation itself lasts on average 5-10 mins for diamond microsurgery and CK, 15-30 mins for Intacs, lens implants and cataracts, 30 mins for cross-linking (C3R/UV-X).
Your surgeon will pad and dress the eye, in a way that you yourself will be able to remove after a few hours. When you return to the waiting room it is important to rest for a few minutes and to wait for the effect of your tranquiliser to wear off. We'll serve tea/coffee and biscuits. Your surgeon will tell you how the surgery went and answer any question about the recovery. You will receive post-treatment instructions and set a date for follow-up. A friend or family member should come along to help you get home. Once at home, we advise that you take it easy for the rest of the day, and you can take your pad off in 4-24 hrs. We will also give you some painkillers and some drops. Your surgeon will explain how to use them.

Copyright: Alpha Vision Ltd. Company No.:6346687 - All rights reserved
Office: Aspect Court, 47 Park Square East, Leeds, LS1 2NL, Mobile: +447957772963

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