Vision correction surgery
Enjoy excellent vision with freedom from glasses and contact lenses!
This surgery aims to restore excellent vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses.
In most cases, poor vision can be corrected with surgery. Vision correction surgery is eye surgery that aims to correct focusing errors inside the eye that cause blurry eyesight. There are many different surgical options available to correct vision. The most suitable surgical option will depend on your age and the type of refractive error you have. Your visual requirements, the measurements, status, and health of your eyes are also important factors in deciding what kind of surgery will be best for you.
Tired of wearing glasses?
Say goodbye to glasses and contact lenses and enjoy brilliant vision
Understanding refractive error
Poor vision can have a significant negative impact on quality of life, mental health, independence, and safety.
Refractive error is a focusing problem of the eye that causes blurred vision and makes it difficult to see clearly in some, or all, situations. Refractive error is very common, can range in severity, and can affect people of any age.
Refractive error in many cases can be treated with glasses or contact lenses from your optometrist. Glasses and contact lenses can be a simple option to temporarily improve vision without surgery. Some people desire a surgical solution to correct their refractive error and improve their vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses.
Refractive error that can be corrected with surgery
There are several common types of refractive error. Often a combination of refractive errors may be present at the same time and can be simultaneously corrected in one painless surgery.
Short-sightedness (myopia) causes blurred distance vision.
Long-sightedness (hyperopia) causes blurred vision at all distances.
Astigmatism causes blurred vision at all distances.
Presbyopia causes difficulty reading. The onset of presbyopia is typically in the mid-40s and will worsen with age until around 65yo.
Reclaim your near vision!
Presbyopia, the gradual loss of near vision without glasses, can be corrected with surgery
Is vision correction surgery right for me?
Vision correction surgery is typically a permanent or long-term fix for refractive error.
If you require contact lenses or glasses to see well then surgery may be a good option to correct your vision. Vision correction surgery aims to correct refractive error and restore excellent vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses. There are many different surgical options available. Knowing which surgical option is best for you requires an understanding how your refractive error has changed over time, a detailed eye examination to measure your current refractive error and exclude other causes of vision impairment, and high-resolution imaging of your eye.
Surgical options for vision correction
There are several different surgical options for vision correction. Different options may be available depending on your age - a general guide is provided below. A full clinical examination will be required to work out what options are best for you. Book now for an appointment and to find out your surgical options for vision correction to enjoy freedom from glasses and contact lenses.
Vision correction for people under the age of 45
Younger eyes typically have a soft and flexible crystalline lens located deep inside the eye behind the iris. Poor vision is typically caused by significant short-sightedness, long-sightedness or astigmatism. Following surgery to correct these refractive errors, the crystalline lens in younger eyes may retain the ability to change shape to enable clear natural vision from near to distance. When the crystalline lens remains soft and flexible, vision correction surgery should aim to preserve the crystalline lens. In cases where the crystalline lens has lost these youthful properties, replacing the lens with an artificial lens that can enable a full range of vision from near to distance may be a better option.
Implanted Collamer Lenses (ICL) surgery is a fully reversible surgical option that can be safely used to correct mild to severe refractive error. ICL surgery is ideal for correcting shortsightness, astigmatism and longsightness in most cases. This specialised painless surgery restores clear vision without the need for laser reshaping of the cornea and retains the natural focusing ability of the eye. Find out more about ICL surgery here.
Refractive lens exchange surgery is a permanent vision correction option. This surgery will prevent cataract formation in later life. The surgery is not painful and in most cases the vision improves within 1-2 days. Refractive lens exchange involves the use of an intraocular lens (IOL) to provide clear vision. There are many different types of IOLs available to provide excellent vision to suit your visual demands.
Laser vision correction (LASIK/PRK/SMILE) is surgery that uses a laser to reshape the cornea and provide focused vision. This surgery is typically best for younger patients in their 20s and 30s. A careful assessment of your cornea is required to ensure you will be a good candidate for laser surgery. Laser surgery is often not appropriate for people with a history of dry eye, keratoconus or corneal disorders.
Surgical options for correction of your vision
Many people are unaware that there are multiple surgical options for permanent or long-term vision correction
Vision correction for people over 45
Refractive lens exchange surgery is a permanent vision correction option. This surgery will prevent cataract formation in later life. The surgery is not painful and in most cases the vision improves within 1-2 days. Refractive lens exchange involves the use of an intraocular lens (IOL) to provide clear vision. There are many different types of IOLs available to provide excellent vision to suit your visual demands.
Extended depth of focus Impanted Collamer Lens (EDoF ICL) surgery is a fully reversible surgical option that can be safely used to correct mild to severe refractive error in the absence of cataract. This surgical option is suitable for many patients under the age of 65y. ICL surgery is ideal for correcting shortsightness, longsightness, astigmatism and presbyopia in many cases. This specialised painless surgery restores clear vision without the need for laser reshaping of the cornea and enhances the natural focusing ability of the eye to restore near vision without glasses. Find out more about ICL surgery here.
Refractive lens exchange with an Extended Depth of Focus intraocular lens (EDoF IOL). Refractive lens-based surgery that involves the use of an EDoF IOL is designed to correct focusing errors for glasses-free distance vision and provide the ability to see closer objects such as computers and tablets clearly without the need for glasses. EDoF lenses provide good vision in all lighting conditions and typically provide excellent functional vision so you can see clearly for the majority of tasks without compromising depth perception or night vision which may be an issue with other IOL types.
Refractive lens exchange with a multifocal lens restores a full range of vision from near to distance. Multifocal lenses provide the largest range of vision of all of the intraocular lens types. This painless surgical option provides a permanent refractive correction and prevents the need for cataract surgery in later life.
Vision correction in special cases
There are surgical options for vision correction in a range of special cases. Some examples of special cases are listed below, however, this list is not exhaustive and there are numerous surgical options that can be tailored to your situation or particular needs. Please book an appointment if you wish to discuss options that are relevant to you.
Previous laser vision correction requires special consideration for vision correction surgery due to the changes in corneal shape caused by laser refractive surgery. People with a history of laser refractive surgery benefit from the latest OCT laser scanning technology to accurately plan vision correction surgery.
Previous refractive surgery (radial keratotomy) typically results in an irregular and unstable corneal shape that can cause poor vision later in life. Vision correction surgery in these cases may involve modified surgical techniques and small-aperture optic intraocular lenses that can provide excellent visual results including restoration of near and distance vision without glasses.
Keratoconus results in irregular astigmatism. Vision correction surgery for people with keratoconus is possible in many cases and options will depend on the severity of the keratoconus. For people with unstable keratconus then the first step for vision correction is corneal crosslinking to stabilise the cornea. For people with large amounts of irregular astigmatism who do not want to wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses, the use of Intracorneal Ring Segments can be beneficial to reshape the cornea and restore a more regular shape. Any residual refractive error can often be addressed with an ICL or refractive lens exchange. For people with keratoconus who require cataract surgery, there are special formulae designed for use in keratoconus that can be used to most accurately select the best intraocular lens to restore vision. For people with severe keratoconus or corneal scarring, a corneal transplant may be the best surgical option to restore your vision.
Corneal disorders/dystrophies such as Fuchs Endothelial Dystrophy may require an endothelial cell transplant to restore corneal clarity and excellent vision. In many cases, this variation of corneal transplantation can be completed as a minimally invasive procedure that typically restores excellent vision in a fraction of the recovery time of a traditional corneal transplant.
Previous cataract surgery may be associated with residual refractive error and the need for driving and reading glasses to see clearly. This is most often the case if a monofocal intraocular lens has been used at the time of the original surgery. These lenses are still widely used and in some cases may not result in optimal visual outcomes following surgery. There are options to provide a permanent correction and further improve the vision without the need for glasses for people with residual refractive error. In these cases, the use of a custom-designed addon intraocular lens to fine-tune the vision can greatly improve the vision. In other cases, a simple painless laser procedure can be completed in the clinic that will instantly restore the vision without the need for further surgery.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be associated with loss of central vision. While it is not possible to restore perfect vision in many people with AMD, it is possible to use a custom-designed intraocular lens that includes a magnifier to help restore some reading vision while maintaining distance vision.
Trauma is often associated with multiple problems associated with visual impairment. Most commonly there is damage to the cornea, iris and crystalline lens and associated structures. In many cases, vision can be restored with surgery and may involve replacing parts, or all of, the iris, cornea and lens. If your trauma has occurred in New Zealand then any treatment and surgery may be covered by ACC at no charge to you. It may be possible to restore vision even when your vision was lost through trauma many years ago.
Summary
There are many options to improve your vision with vision correction surgery. The options above provide a simplified overview of some of the procedures available. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or need an appointment for surgery.
You can book an appointment online or call Gaynor on ☎ 0800 CATARACT (0800 228 27 228) or (07) 834 6335. If you need an appointment to discuss cataract surgery please get in touch and we will do our best to arrange an appointment within the next 1-2 weeks.
For any other questions please feel free to email info@jamesandeye.co.nz
