Vision correction has come a long way, from the invention of eye glasses to the introduction of contact lenses and then laser vision correction. The first experiments with laser treatment took place in November 1989 at St Thomas' hospital, London, since then more than 20 million people worldwide have undergone laser vision correction and 100,000 people in the UK undergo the procedure every year. Now, 20 years on from the first laser procedures, with the latest laser vision correction technology available in the region, laser eye surgery has become routine for those as young as 21 years old (adult age of consent) and, equally effectively, for patients up to 50 and even beyond.
Today, 'Lasik' is the most common form of eye correction surgery - 'Lasik' actually stands for 'Laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis' which is a procedure that reshapes the cornea. Lasik eye surgery is used to treat patients with near sightedness, short sightedness, far sightedness and astigmatism.
"Lasik is the state of the art in eye surgery and is a painless and quick procedure, lasting just a few minutes," says Dr Edmondo Borasio, Consultant Corneal and Refractive Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai. "There is a success rate of around 98 per cent with the procedure and, usually, patients can see a major improvement immediately following the surgery; however, the full results will only be apparent the next day. Laser eye surgery really has come a long way in the last 20 years and is now a routine procedure for skilled surgeons."
Laser vision correction, from the forties onwards, may require a small compromise between near and distance vision and there are other options available for older citizens. Distance vision can be corrected only partially, for instance to 90 per cent, in order to gain some near vision; or one eye can be corrected for short-sightedness and one for distance vision (called 'monovision'). Multifocal laser correction of the cornea is another option, where multiple concentric rings are sculpted on the corneal surface, allowing improved near and distance vision simultaneously but the vision quality achieved with this procedure is not as clear as with a monofocal approach (standard laser treatment).
"With the 'monovision' approach, we generally simulate the effect with a special contact lens before proceeding with surgery to see if the patient likes it," adds Dr Borasio. "Some people find the imbalance between the two eyes to be uncomfortable, but others find this to be the ideal solution."
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About Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (MEHD) is the first overseas branch of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the oldest and one of the largest centres for ophthalmic treatment, teaching and research in the world. Located at the Al Razi Medical Complex in Dubai Health Care City, the facility provides daycase surgery and outpatient diagnostic and treatment services, for a variety of surgical and non-surgical eye conditions. MEHD will also raise standards for research and teaching in the region through its partnership with the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center. MEHD is owned and managed by the NHS Foundation Trust, and maintains close links with London, including a telelink with sophisticated videoconferencing technology, to ensure that patients in the GCC receive the best eye care treatment in the world. www.moorfields.ae
For more information please contacts:
Jonathan Walsh
WPR
Dubai
Tel: +971 50 4588610
Email: jon@wprme.com
© Press Release 2009
