Where? At the Moscow Eye Clinic on Semenovskaya.

When? A week ago, on Friday, November 24th. A full 12 days have passed since the operation until the writing of this post.

Today I’ll tell you about my impressions. There is good, but there is also bad, unfortunately.

Firstly, about the result. He's impressive. After my -7, when without lenses or glasses I could clearly see only the iPhone screen at a distance of ten centimeters from my eyes, the difference is colossal. To be honest, I still can’t get rid of the feeling that during the operation contact lenses were tightly attached to my pupils, and that’s why I see everything so well. But no. These are my own eyes.

However, unfortunately, there are two problems.

• The first, minor one: during the operation they used a device that pressed on the eye and created a vacuum for a neat, super-thin incision. Because of it, many blood vessels burst, and for the last 10 days I have been walking around like a drug addict or a fight fan: with bloodshot eyes. The areas of bruising are shrinking, but the whites will finally become white only after a month. A few days ago I looked like this:

Handsome, isn't it?

• The second, significant one: while the vision in the right eye has been restored to 100%, the left one sees dimly. It's not bad, but it's just murky. Both near and far. If you close your right eye and look only with your left, it is very noticeable. It is difficult to read the text with one left eye at any distance; it is unclear. However, when you look into the distance with both eyes, you experience practically no discomfort. When you read a book or look at the screen (for example, now, as I type these lines), the image is slightly blurry. I noticed this problem immediately after the operation, and over the intervening time I have not gotten better. I'm very worried.

As usual in situations when something is wrong with the body, and it worries you... I scoured the entire Internet in search of similar cases :)) It turned out that my “significant” problem is not unique. There are many similar complaints on specialized forums. At the same time, people complain that doctors do not solve the problem of “cloudy eye”: most often they say to wait and promise that in a week, month, or year everything will get better, while the devices can show 100% vision. Some are completely unlucky: doctors tell them that there is no “cloudy” vision, and the patient invented everything for himself.

On one forum I found a statement that such unpleasant visual effects can be caused by damage to the cornea and its subsequent reaction to injury (which, in fact, is laser correction). I even found two diagnoses: viral keratitis And diffuse lamellar keratitis, both are treated with special drops. Keratitis is essentially a kind of swelling or infection.

By the way, I noticed: when people write on the Internet about the problem of “cloudy” vision in one eye after laser correction, the messages are dated 10-30 days after the operation. And all such threads on forums end the same way: the correspondence ends at the moment of describing the problem and the experiences associated with it. Based on this, I would like to assume that the problem itself is still being solved, because if the “cloudiness” of vision after correction did not go away or required additional manipulations and, especially, surgical intervention, then patients would probably describe their suffering in detail.

This evening I went to an appointment at the Moscow Eye Clinic, my eyes looked carefully, and astigmatism was recorded on my “defective”, “cloudy” eye, as much as 1.25. My doctor said it might be because I jerked slightly during surgery. However, she did not advise doing anything: the eye recovers after surgery, the cut heals, the cornea may change, and after a few weeks the “cloudiness” may go away. Another reason why I can't see clearly in my left eye, according to the doctor, could be a "displaced cut." Theoretically, I could twitch at a crucial moment, and the suture could pass right over the lens, thereby “cloudying” my vision. Everything will be fine when the stitch is completely healed in about a month.

How did the operation go?

In general, this is where we had to start. Otherwise, you are probably sitting and thinking: what are these cuts, what are these stitches, ahhhh!!!

The answer to the main question: no, it didn’t hurt :) You don’t experience pain at all during laser correction. The most difficult thing is to overcome the reflex to run away and dodge when something is being poked into your pupil with all their might. With this I had the main problem. I struggled, wriggled and tried to escape :)

The essence of laser correction is as follows. The human eye is the same camera. Light passes through the cornea (lens) and is then collected in the pupil (diaphragm) to be beamed onto the retina (matrix), which converts the rays into neural impulses that are transmitted to the brain (processor). Like any camera, the eye has a focal length that it is initially set to. Myopia is a disease when the eye, for various reasons, is deformed, stretching inward, becoming slightly elliptical instead of a ball. When the eye extends, the retina moves away from the pupil and cornea, that is, the focal length increases. Unfortunately, this is where the similarity with a camera ends: there is no Autofocus button, and the lens cannot be adjusted to achieve the required image sharpness.

In a camera, if the focal length increases, the image in the viewfinder becomes blurry. Moreover, the more we increase the focal length, the more blurry the picture. Everything is exactly the same in the eye. And for convenience, an increased focal length = poor vision is measured in diopters: -1, -2, -3 and so on. Quick-fix - glasses or lenses that refract the light flux. But if you want “forever”, then you need to physically reduce the focal length inside the eye. This is what is done during laser correction - literally a few microns of “extra” cornea are burned so that an undistorted beam of light falls on the retina.

The operation consists of two stages. I did the most sophisticated and accurate version of femtolasik for myself; other methods differ slightly.

1. The top thin layer of the cornea is cut off. In Femtolasik this is done with a special device under pressure and vacuum.
2. The doctor manually lifts the resulting flap - the “lid” - and burns out a very small cavity in the inner layer of the cornea: its shape and size are determined by a computer and are individual for each person. In my case, the laser worked for 30-40 seconds per eye. At this moment you don’t experience any sensations, you just follow the green cloud of tiny dots moving in Brownian motion. At the end of the manipulation, the “lid” of the cornea is put back in place and straightened. All.

Laser correction today is done almost like on an assembly line: patients come in one after another. Most often, it takes 20 minutes per person. It took me a whole hour.

Everything started well: there were four people in the operating room, all in good mood. Music is playing, in the middle there is some kind of spacecraft. They put me next to him on the couch and treat my eyelids, eyelashes, and everywhere around the eyes with an iodine solution. I guess:

I guess I look funny now?

Very! You are like a panda! - says the nurse who performs the treatment.

Afterwards, a mask with one hole is put on the face - for the eye that will be operated on right now. The couch automatically slides under the spacecraft, behind which laser correction is performed.

Of course I'm worried!

For a while I just sit under the device, and a bar with a hole, inside of which there is some kind of kaleidoscope, moves up to my eye. Watch it - it's fascinating.

From the very beginning, drops of local anesthesia are poured into the eye on a regular basis. Thanks to it, you don’t feel any touch on the cornea.

Then an eyelid expander is placed. Many people are afraid of this procedure, but in fact it turned out to be quite tolerable, just a little unpleasant.

Then all hell broke loose.

The device above me came to life, the kaleidoscope moved, some kind of stack of lenses stuck out, and began to point directly at my eye. When he reached the cornea and touched it, the device did not stop - it continued to press: harder, very hard! The pressure in my eye turned dark and it seemed to me that my eye was about to burst)) Naturally, I got nervous and somehow instinctively began to slightly move my head to the side, so the doctor immediately protested: “This won’t work, we can’t do anything.” ".

What can I do? I really want laser correction, but I’m in panic and horror, I’m shaking all over, my hands are in cold sweat, and in my head I have a picture of a giant crushing the skull of a defeated knight from “Game of Thrones.”

The first time it didn’t work, the second time too. Yulia Valerievna says: “We’ll try again, if it doesn’t work, then we’ll do the correction another day; it’s dangerous to act on the eye like this more than three times.” I'm panicking: I wouldn't forgive myself if we postponed the operation - wearing glasses for another week, and then again mentally preparing for the correction - cruel. The doctor advised effective way stop being so nervous - they assigned me a separate nurse who held my hand))) At first I thought: why, don’t. They told me: “You will be surprised, but this helps a lot.” I agreed, and indeed: everything immediately became easier when you hold someone’s hand - it’s amazing, but you immediately stop concentrating on the discomfort, unpleasant sensations and fear of having your eye crushed, and focus on your hand)

In short, I began to break out much more restrained, and the operation became much more coordinated.

The second eye was done very quickly: it also helped that I knew what to expect.

For the second stage, I was wheeled on a couch to another machine. When the doctor "opens the lid" on your eye, blurry the world plunges into darkness, from which you can blurryly see several lights that shine into your eye. One of them is green - laser. This is where the main magic happens - your vision is healed) It is only important to look very carefully at the green light while the laser is working. And this is difficult to do - the eye itself is not fixed in any way, and you can easily look away to the side. Under no circumstances should this be done. And when they tell you that, it’s always difficult to resist) Sometimes even unintentionally - after all, spots of light, including green, sometimes disappear, become cloudy, and you seem to lose focus. But everything seemed to work out for me.

By the way, it seemed to me that the patient’s complete freedom during the operation is a minus. My head wasn’t even fixed in any way, although it was definitely worth putting me in shackles!

After the doctor put the “lids” back on my eyes and generously filled my eyes with special drops, I was asked to get up and walk) I was shaking all over from the stress I had suffered, but there were no problems getting to the waiting room. The eyes were afraid of the light, and even after all the abuse they suffered, they wanted to be closed. Nevertheless, squinting slightly, looking around was a piece of cake; vision did not yet seem perfect, but it was already much, much better than before.

We had to wait half an hour (during this time the flap is more or less stabilized on the cornea, and the risk that it will move off becomes minimal). Then the doctor looked at my eyes and let go. Then we called a taxi, and in the taxi, real hell began for me) The anesthesia wore off, and tears flowed from my eyes like a river, and along with the tears came a wild pain that I felt in waves: it really hurt so much that I couldn’t sit still , it’s like you don’t feel anything at all. I couldn’t open my eyes at all: I was greatly helped by the fact that Ivanka was with me. An hour later we arrived home, and my wife led me to the apartment like a blind person: I could not open my eyes for a second, and walked by touch.

The hellish pain lasted another two hours, and then slowly subsided. True, photophobia did not go away when the pain went away - the evening after the operation it was twilight in our apartment, most of the light came from street lamps)

However, despite photophobia, I could already look, and immediately answered: my eyesight is freaking cool!

I was very pleased with the fact that I had laser correction! For me, this is a huge event, a long-standing big goal that I finally had the courage to fulfill. There is nothing complicated or particularly dangerous in the operation itself and subsequent rehabilitation. Even despite my “cloudy eye” problem, I feel that everything turned out great: God, I haven’t been able to see anything so well with my own eyes since preschool!

I have to be monitored for another three months, after which, if the “cloudiness” in the eye does not go away, additional correction is possible. But even with “cloudiness” in both eyes, I have 1.2 vision - eagle vision, before I could only dream of this!

Once every two weeks I send my friends a personal e-mail in which I share my thoughts on recent events and recommend the most interesting blog articles that have been published recently. Click here , if you also want me to send you this letter!

After laser (excimer) vision correction, patients often encounter various complications. One of them is diplopia, that is, double vision. Why does it occur and is this phenomenon considered normal for the postoperative period? Read the answers to these questions in our article.

In this article

Vision correction using LASIK surgery is considered today one of the widely advertised and highly effective procedures. It is often recommended for myopia, farsightedness and astigmatism. Thousands of similar operations are carried out every day all over the world.
Quite a lot is known about the benefits of LASIK or other types of laser vision correction. Technologies for their implementation are constantly being improved, however, this does not completely eliminate the risk of possible complications.

What complications occur most often after surgery?

According to ophthalmologists, the most common side effects after surgery include:

• decreased vision in the dark, as well as in unfavorable weather conditions;
• sensation of a foreign body in the eye, which may persist for several days;

• increased tearfulness, especially on the first day after surgery;
• the occurrence of “dry eye” syndrome due to drying of the upper layer of the cornea after LASIK;
• eye sensitivity to bright light.

Double vision after surgery. Is this normal?

During the first three days after laser vision correction, the patient may see a blurred or double image. In most cases, this effect disappears within the next few days after the operation, but it can also “accompany” the patient for quite a long time. Doctors note that such a reaction is absolutely normal, but only if you see double for a short time. This can be especially pronounced when there is insufficient lighting, for example, when working at a desk lamp, as well as under unfavorable weather conditions.

Typically, patients complain to their doctors about the appearance of halos around the object they see or double image. Moreover, such defects do not depend in any way on the time of day, that is, they can appear both during the day and in the evening.

What to do if you see double vision for more than three months?

It also happens that the double image does not go away after three, five days or a week. It can persist for several months, which causes significant discomfort to the patient. In most cases, in the first days, patients who have undergone laser correction do not notice it. special significance, considered a normal consequence after LASIK. Doctors themselves share a similar opinion. However, after a certain time, this ceases to be the norm characteristic of the rehabilitation period, and begins to cause anxiety in patients. The experience is even more intensified in cases where all other postoperative effects have passed quickly enough, and double vision remains unchanged. Concern in this case is completely justified. In such situations, ophthalmologists recommend performing keratotopography and drawing conclusions based on its results.


It often happens that the reason lies in the characteristics of the patient’s cornea itself. It is believed that the outcome of surgery can be assessed no earlier than three months after LASIK. If double vision does not go away even after this period, then most likely the doctor will recommend repeated intervention or, as it is also called, additional vision correction.

Diagnosis of double vision and its causes

As ophthalmologists explain, double vision after surgery can be explained by the manifestation of a prismatic effect. If, for example, double vision is observed in only one eye, then astigmatism is most likely to blame. It provokes blurriness of the image along one of the axes, while on the other everything remains unchanged. If the examination shows that the problem lies in the imperfection of the surface of the cornea (this is usually seen during examination with a keratotopograph), then we are talking about coma - one of the most complex spherical disorders, consisting of asymmetrical coloring relative to the central part of the pupil.

If the results of the keratotopogram are negative and do not show any abnormalities, then the cause of double vision is a violation between the stroma - the transparent layer that forms the basis of the cornea, and the flap - a flap of the cornea.

After laser correction, one eye began to see worse than the other

At the age of 15, I had scleroplasty in Saratov. The diagnosis of the doctors, who recommended prompt intervention in my treatment, was “high myopia” (if I remember the name exactly), vision deteriorated progressively. At the time of surgery it was -6.5 in both eyes. Now I am 25 years old, my vision is -3.5. Should I have an expensive laser surgery and is there a guarantee after it that my vision will be completely restored and not worsen?

Alexander.

If you are not satisfied with glasses or contacts, it makes sense to consider and discuss with your doctor the possibility of laser surgery. But the question about guarantees should be asked to the surgeon, since the result of the operation largely depends on his experience, knowledge and equipment.

Eleven years ago I had surgery to restore myopia -6.0. All these years I have been working on a computer and I feel that my vision is deteriorating. What to do?

Larisa.

The first thing you need to do is get examined and find out the reasons for your vision deterioration. After this, decide what glasses are needed. Do not forget that, even if myopia has been operated on and vision is good, the eyes still need support, treatment and constant monitoring by a doctor.

In April of this year I had laser correction using LASIK. I'm happy with the result, but for some reason one eye (non-dominant) is inferior to the other. I spend a lot of time on the computer, but I take breaks, take vitamins and follow all the recommendations of my doctor. And another question: some doctors claim that after laser correction, vision will not deteriorate. And what do you think?

Andrey.

You yourself answered your first question correctly: because one eye is dominant and the other is not. The answer to your second question: I am not so sure, but with your thorough approach, I hope your vision will be fine.

Are there any risks or Negative consequences in the future after laser correction?

Elena.

There is a risk of complications. However, with high qualifications and extensive experience of the surgeon, their likelihood is minimal.

My vision is -9.5. I am 23 years old and wear contact lenses. I would like to have laser surgery, so I have a question: how long after the operation can I give birth to a child?

Anna.

As a rule, one year after vision correction surgery you can already give birth. And just to note, if you decide to have laser correction, on the eve of the operation itself and the full examination that precedes it, I advise you not to wear contact lenses for at least two weeks.

My myopia is -4, my friend's is -7. We want to do laser correction, but we can’t decide. How to choose the right clinic, doctor, understand the methods and, most importantly, what can we count on so that we can walk right away without glasses? How long does this effect last?

Irina Zubova.

Modern technologies will make it possible to completely eliminate myopia, both -4 and -7, and the next day after surgery you will receive one hundred percent vision. When choosing a clinic and doctor, talk to friends and specialists you trust. Take a look at online forums, read the responses and discussions of those who have already had such an operation. After surgery, with certain changes in the body, for example during pregnancy, myopia may progress.

Does it make sense to have surgery for myopia at 43 years old, vision -3.75. They say that vision can recover on its own with age, however, I haven’t noticed it yet, besides, I spend a lot of time at the computer. I don't like glasses.

Sveta.

Myopia does not disappear with age. If you have surgery to correct myopia, you will be able to see well into the distance without glasses or lenses, but you will be able to read with glasses. And if the operation is not performed, then you will read without glasses, but for distance reading you will have to wear glasses or contacts. Therefore, decide for yourself what is more convenient for you.

Is it possible to do laser correction after scleroplasty performed 15 years ago?

Alex.

Retinal problems need to be addressed without delay

My mother (73 years old) had surgery - a circular retinal repair. Within 1 month after the operation, retinal detachment occurred in another place, so there was no time to “shoot” it with a laser. Do you think there is a chance of restoring at least some vision in this eye?

Catherine.

In addition to laser “welding” of the retina, there are also surgical methods for treating retinal detachment. Moreover, the sooner the operation is performed, the greater the chance of vision restoration. Therefore, you need to contact a specialist in retinal diseases as soon as possible. Such specialists in Moscow work in large public and some private centers.

I have high myopia - 7.5. From time to time you have to “target” the retina with a laser. I wear contact lenses all the time. Can I have laser vision correction? And is it still possible to give birth naturally with a vision pathology like mine?

Olga.

Most likely, independent childbirth with this retinal condition is contraindicated. Vision correction is best done using PRK.

Can a child wear contact lenses?

My son has aphakia (missing lens) since he was 5 months old. Now he is 5 and a half years old and his vision is +10. Can he wear contact lenses and will he be able to put them on himself? And my main question is: will his vision improve?

Feruza.

Young children with aphakia have a high risk of developing amblyopia, the so-called “lazy eye” (when one of the eyes is almost not involved in image perception and thereby the formation of the retina and visual cortex is disrupted).

Almost the only way to avoid this problem is to constantly wear a contact lens.

While children are small, contact lenses are usually put on by their parents; the doctor observing the child will teach you how to do this correctly. In addition, it is very important to conduct regular eye training to prevent amblyopia, but not at home, but in a specialized eye institution.

My daughter has a congenital atypical cataract in her left eye; she can hardly see. On the right, vision is -7. She wears a lens. Can she get laser correction at 18?

Evgenia.

The question of the possibility of surgery is decided after a complete ophthalmological examination. Please take into account that an eye with myopia -7 is practically the only seeing eye. And all operations have complications. Whether it's worth the risk is up to you to decide.

My eight-year-old child has been diagnosed with “floating myopia” - vision 1. Periodically complains that he sees poorly in one eye or the other. The doctor advised us to undergo laser correction - 10 sessions. I would like to consult with you: is this procedure dangerous for children and what could be the consequences? side effects?

Natalia.

In such cases, a set of methods is usually used to stabilize the child’s vision.

However, the choice of prescriptions primarily depends on the results of the examination.

Side effects when using laser therapy are rare, since they are only possible if safety precautions are not followed, so in this regard there is no particular reason for your concern.

I noticed that my six-month-old baby has one eye open less than the other. Tell me please, does this affect vision? Maybe you need to show him to a doctor?

Irina.

For the formation of vision, it is very important that light enters the child's eye. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to check whether the eyelid is covering the pupil (the black dot in the middle of the eye).

Otherwise, the difference in the degree of eye opening requires consultation with a neurologist.

How to cope with age-related farsightedness?

I have never suffered from vision problems. After forty years, my vision into the distance became noticeably worse. I work as a teacher primary classes. It hasn't come to points yet. What can you recommend to stop this process, or is it age-related and you need to start wearing glasses the sooner?

Victoria Germanovna Krasavina.

I think we are talking about age-related farsightedness or presbyopia, as experts call it. This is a condition where the eye's ability to focus at close range decreases with age. There are several recipes here. Firstly, as soon as your eyes start to get tired, it is better to choose reading glasses to give your eyes a chance to rest under heavy visual loads. At the same time, I advise you to do gymnastics to train your eye’s ability to focus at different distances.

My mother is 68 years old. He suffers from chronic hypertension and all the diseases associated with this disease. Her vision corresponds to her age, there seem to be no special complaints, but at her age, perhaps, it’s necessary to undergo some kind of eye examination for preventative purposes?

Irina.

Choose healthy products and harmless drops

Please list the products that are necessary to keep your eyes in shape.

Lika.

Carrots, blueberries, spinach, red vegetables and fruits, black bread.

Working at the computer makes my eyes water. Drops are usually recommended, but I heard that they are not recommended to be used often?

Natalia Valerievna.

There are absolutely harmless drops, for example, natural tears, Systane, Hilokomod, which can be used without restrictions, since they restore the tear film. If we are talking about drops such as Visine, Okumetil, then it is better not to use them constantly, but only on the recommendation of a doctor.

x HTML code

Ophthalmologist Erika Eskina visiting "KP.RU".

Good afternoon

The day after laser correction, myopia in both eyes was almost one. They told me to start using moisturizing drops. On the third day, the left eye became covered with a “film” and through it the eye sees poorly not only in the distance, but also near everything in the fog. The right one is also periodically covered in fog. Moisturizing drops do not bring relief and the fog does not go away. What could be causing this deterioration? How long can this go on? Today is the ninth day and there is no improvement.

Fog in the eyes after vision correction

Hello. Please give me an answer why I have fog in my eyes after vision correction? For a month now all instruments have been good, 1.0, the operation went flawlessly. The left one sees nothing, but the right one “smoke”, the quality of life is not very good. the doctor talks about the individual reaction to the operation. during the protracted postoperative period. during the last weekend. I went with my children to St. Petersburg, apparently my eyes were “fried” from artificial light, the wind in the subway, etc. “Yesterday I got caught in the wind, it’s a total disaster. In the morning I can’t see either near or far. It seems to me that something- That’s not right. It’s some kind of mistake. I live like a flounder. There are no unpleasant sensations, nothing dries. The doctor stopped all the drops. I don’t do any self-medication. I only take vitamins. Thanks in advance.

Answers:

Ivanova Natalya

Ophthalmologist, experience in outpatient and ophthalmology departments. Diagnosis and treatment of all eye diseases, selection of contact lenses and glasses.

Attention! An online consultation with an ophthalmologist does not replace a visit to a doctor. Self-medication can lead to the development of serious complications.

If you have an acute condition and you are in Moscow or the Moscow region, we recommend that you contact the Moscow Eye Clinic - an ophthalmological center with an impeccable reputation, affordable prices, modern equipment and qualified specialists.

Hello Olga.

As a postoperative complication, microedema may occur in the central region of the retina. not visually detectable during inspections. There may also be a slight "haze" due to the slow recovery of the endothelial layer of the cornea. losing some cells during surgery. To improve nutrition of the cornea, Balarpan drops are used. and for retinal swelling, Indocollir or Diclof eye drops.

Severe fog in one eye after Lasik

Immediately for inspection.

I went for a checkup. The device showed 1.0 vision in both eyes. In fact, with my right eye I can’t even see the top lines well, with my left eye half of the lines are cloudy. They explained this phenomenon to me as dry eyes, which arose after wearing contact lenses. Although now I don’t feel this dryness. And when I wore the lenses, I saw everything clearly and my eyes didn’t feel dry. And then on the third day after the operation everything started to go wrong. Could the fog and this decrease in visibility really be due to dry eyes that I don't even feel?

Laser vision correction

Hi all! Today I decided to write this short article with the hope that it will be useful to those who one day, like me, decide to do away with glasses and contact lenses once and for all.

When I was faced with the question “is it worth doing laser correction?”, then, to my great surprise, it was practically impossible to find unbiased detailed information on this matter. For some reason, this issue is never covered in the press and on television, and the Internet is simply teeming with all sorts of horrors, intimidation, or, on the contrary, praises, although they are posted mainly on the websites of ophthalmological clinics, which do this correction themselves, and therefore cannot be considered a reliable source. they can.

The views of uninterested ophthalmologists regarding this procedure are also diametrically opposed: one doctor friend of mine in her thirties told me that she approved of the operation, and that many of her colleagues had the correction done and were satisfied with the result. Another ophthalmologist, who is already over seventy, told me something like, “if you were my child, I would spank you for such ideas.” So, I was at a loss, and since a person instinctively protects his eyes, first of all (it’s not for nothing that they say “protect like the apple of your eye”), I decided to analyze information from various sources, put it together and see what conclusions could be reached .

The vision correction itself began (laser) using so-called “notches” on the cornea. The first such operations were carried out back in the 30s of the last century and continued to be done until the 80s. This is where, as it turned out, all today’s fears about laser correction come from (for some reason, these very notches were given to me as an argument against by this senior doctor, although it is completely unclear what in her eyes they have in common with laser correction). So, notches on the cornea actually often led to a deterioration in the condition of the eyes, and sometimes to a complete loss of vision, which, of course, extremely frightened people who had no place to get information from other than vague rumors.

However, in the 80s of the twentieth century the situation changed dramatically. Specialists from IBM (yes, don't be surprised, it was IBM) came up with a way to apply microengraving on computer chips with a laser (the accuracy of such engraving was measured in a micron), after which ophthalmologists borrowed the technology from computer scientists. Since lasers began to be used to correct vision, not a single case of blindness in a patient has been known. This procedure is considered the simplest and safest eye surgery of all. For comparison, just think about the now common surgery to replace the lens, when the surgeon literally picks at the eye, pulls out the lens and inserts an artificial one. And no one says that this is dangerous, that you shouldn’t do it, etc. (in particular, the already mentioned senior ophthalmologist whom I visited performs such operations herself). With laser correction, no one goes inside the eyes. I don’t want to dwell in detail on the procedures themselves, because there is just a ton of information on them on the Internet, you just need to type in the search “LASEK and LASIK correction methods” and you can even watch a video (although, probably, if you are planning to perform an operation, then immediately before Overly sensitive people should not do this).

Now, I will dwell in more detail on my own experience. Having hesitated between “to do or not to do,” I suddenly decided for myself and everyone around me to “do it!”

So, it all starts with a full diagnostic examination. It takes about two hours, during which your eyes are examined from all sides, eye pressure is measured, and in general they check whether it is possible to correct your vision to 100%. This, by the way, immediately answers the malicious question “why then do ophthalmologists themselves wear glasses?” Firstly, laser correction also has its contraindications (after all, it is still an operation), secondly, it is not always possible to correct vision to 100%, thirdly, after 40 years of age, correction is usually not done, since age-related changes and correcting a person’s myopia, he will immediately have to be prescribed reading glasses. At the end of the day, there are just people who like to wear glasses.

After this, they will tell you whether you can make a correction. During the examination, one controversial issue arose during my examination, which concerns “strengthening the retina.” The bottom line is that (as they say) in the clinic literally 99% of patients recommend retinal strengthening. This procedure is a prevention of retinal detachment (which is indeed a very serious problem that can lead to complete loss of vision). However, if in fact there are no indications for strengthening the retina, then going to it with a laser only means harm. Since the doctor from the clinic (and he really insisted that I undergo this procedure) is a person directly interested, I turned to the above-mentioned ophthalmologists. I heard from both of them that, in their opinion, my retina is fine and there is no need to do any strengthening. Therefore, to this day I don’t know whether he really saw some irreversible changes there, or just wanted to make money (and the procedure is not cheap, like all services in the clinic). I in no way want to say that I made the only right decision, because in general, strengthening the retina can really be a necessary thing, but I’m just saying that it wouldn’t hurt to consult an independent doctor further on this issue.

As for laser correction, I had no contraindications (my vision was -3.25 and -3.5. This is not catastrophic, but life complicates it quite a lot), so I was prescribed additional examinations for several days (and I don’t understand why everything couldn’t be done at once). The additional examination was already short-lived and after it they told me that they would call and inform me about the day of the operation.

On the day of the operation, first there was a consultation with the surgeon herself (she simply tells you the method by which she will perform the procedure and answers any questions that you have), then a consultation with the anesthesiologist. I would like to say that I do not understand the role of this person in the operational process at all. He DOESN'T even DO ANESTHESIA himself! His “work” boiled down to the fact that he measured my blood pressure (blood pressure with a tonometer) and asked if there were any problems with my kidneys and liver. In addition, he spoke in more detail about the progress of the operation. ALL! After that, I was taken to the treatment room, where they gave me soothing, pain-relieving injections and eye washes. Then the patients began to be called into the operating room one by one. There, a nurse (anesthesiologist) gave me painkilling drops, they put on a sterile disposable gown, a cap and shoe covers, put me on a special couch and slipped me under the laser. The procedure itself took no more than 3 minutes for each eye. After that, they put protective lenses on me, took me out of the operating room, gave me tea and sweets and released me on all four sides. Oh, yes, in addition to this, they were fully provided with a whole set of eye drops that are necessary for different schemes keep instilling it for about a month after surgery.

Do not believe when they tell you that within an hour after the correction you will become like a “sharp eagle”. An hour after the correction, the anesthesia will wear off, and then hold on. For the rest of that day, I could open my eyes only to instill another portion of drops. Everything was in a fog, my eyes burned and stung, tears constantly flowed like a river.

The next two days the vision did not get any better; everything was cloudy and blurry, both close up and from afar, although the pain decreased. Now there was only periodic pain and lacrimation. (I forgot to say that on the second day I still had to go for an examination with a doctor, who told me that everything went well and now I had to wait for the eyes to heal). But when on the third day after the operation I still did not see better, I was a little worried and called the clinic, where they reassured me, saying that these were all the consequences of the fact that I was constantly dripping drops onto the protective lenses, which made the image cloudy, except this eye has not yet had time to heal (and this is an individual process for everyone, so no one can tell you exactly when you will begin to see well).

On the fourth day, the pain in the eyes disappeared completely, and the image began to slowly but surely focus. Today (a week has already passed and I’m about to go take off my protective lenses) I can see almost 100%. No worse than when I wore contact lenses, and certainly much better than wearing those stupid glasses that limit the world to their frame, constantly fog up, and get their fingers caught. In the morning, right after getting out of bed, you no longer have to look for where you put your glasses in the evening, but you can, by opening your eyes, clearly and distinctly see your child and the smile on his face.

Thus, now I am very pleased that I finally decided and did laser correction for myself and can again look at the world and see it as it is, without any auxiliary means.

Consequences of laser vision correction

Modern medicine has more than 20 of the most effective methods vision correction. The favorite is laser correction, the effect of which occurs only on the cornea of ​​the eye. In most cases, it helps improve the quality of life. But this Plastic surgery, and the consequences of laser vision correction can bring not only positive results. There is a possibility of many complications that may arise after this procedure.

Main types of complications:

1. Surgical complications

May arise as a result of poor-quality technical support and insufficient training and qualifications of the surgeon

Insufficient vacuum or vacuum interruptions

Incorrectly selected tool sizes

The cut is too thin or split

There are two methods of excimer laser correction - PRK and LASIK. But the second method has become the most widely used. LASIK is a safe, effective and permanent procedure. Serious complications with this technique are very rare. However, like any other surgical procedure, there are some risks. The likelihood of a vision-decreasing complication with LASIK is documented to be less than 1%, but is still present.

Laser correction is a modern technique for instant and painless correction of eye refraction.

Before the operation, the client must undergo an examination, during which the client’s wishes are discussed and the indicators of the procedure are calculated.

The essence of the method is the selective influence of the laser on characteristic zones of the cornea, as a result of which it takes on a different shape and begins to refract light fluxes differently.

The duration of the entire operation is 15-20 minutes, mainly just preparatory and final work. The laser itself lasts no more than a minute.

The laser beam is controlled by a computer, and this completely eliminates the possibility of error. The laser flow has a targeted effect, during which the so-called “evaporation” of certain areas of the cornea occurs.

To correct myopia, “evaporation” must be carried out in the central part of the cornea, when correcting farsightedness - peripheral segments, and if you want to cure astigmatism, then you need to act on different areas.

It should be noted that laser correction has contraindications. It is not given to children and adolescents under 18, and sometimes up to 25 years old.

It is also not performed on people after 35-40 years of age, because age-related farsightedness occurs during this period.

Laser correction and its consequences.

Like all operations, laser correction has its drawbacks, so many that its inventors no longer recommend it for mass use. Let's consider the main consequences of laser correction.

1. Complications during the operating procedure.

This is mainly due to technical reasons and the doctor’s skills, incorrectly selected indicators, lack or loss of vacuum, incorrect cut of the shell.

According to statistics, the percentage of such complications is 27%.

As a result of surgical complications, clouding of the cornea of ​​the eye, irregular or induced astigmatism, monocular double vision, and a decrease in visual acuity may occur.