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Laser Eye Surgery Consultations

Laser Eye Surgery Consultations

SPECIALTY SERVICE

LASER EYE SURGERY
CONSULTATION & CO-MANAGEMENT

Our optometrists are affiliated with the best surgical centres in the Sudbury and Greater Toronto Area. At Bell Booth Sirkka, we will determine whether you are a good candidate for refractive surgery, discuss various surgical options and co-manage your care following your procedure.

Which Surgery is Right For You?

There are a number of laser refractive surgeries available today; the most popular procedures are PRK and LASIK.

PRK

PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) was the first refractive surgery to use lasers, and it is still performed today. An ophthalmologist removes (debrides) a few layers of cells off the front of the cornea and then uses a laser to reshape the cornea, correcting the refractive error. The entire procedure takes approximately 10 minutes per eye. Vision clears within approximately one week and stabilises within one to two months.

Although healing after PRK takes longer than LASIK due to the regrowth of the front tissue layer, one major advantage to PRK is the ability to treat patients with thinner corneas.

LASIK

LASIK is the most commonly performed laser refractive surgery. An ophthalmologist creates a thin flap in the outer layers of the cornea, folding it back to reveal the middle layers. The middle layers of the cornea are reshaped with a laser and the flap is then placed back into its original position. The entire procedure takes approximately 10 minutes per eye. Vision clears within 48 hours and stabilises within two weeks.

RLE & PRELEX

RLE (Reflective Lens Exchange)

Older adults, especially those who have never worn glasses, may think LASIK is their only solution as they begin to age and need reading glasses. However, due to the number of disqualifying factors, many people 40 and older may not be good candidates for LASIK.

Refractive lens exchange (RLE) replaces your eye’s natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). This procedure is typically reserved for patients who experience a change in their vision do to the natural aging of the eye.

Lens replacement surgery is identical to cataract surgery; the difference is that RLE replaces a clear lens rather than a lens that has become cloudy due to a cataract. As in cataract surgery, the types of artificial lenses available with lens replacement surgery are the same and depend on the health of your eyes.

PRLEX

PRELEX is a surgical procedure that uses the same successful techniques of modern cataract surgery. These surgical techniques have evolved and improved dramatically over the last 20 years. Cataract surgery is now the most common surgical procedure performed in medicine today.

The main difference between standard cataract surgery and PRELEX is that cataract surgery is primarily performed to remove a patient’s cataract that is obstructing and clouding their vision, while PRELEX is performed to minimize a person’s dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

PRELEX Is For Those Who:

  • want to be less dependent on glasses or contacts for far and near vision.
  • are outside the corrective range of LASIK and other refractive procedures.
  • may be showing signs of clouding in their natural lens even though this clouding is not yet interfering with vision.
  • have no health issues affecting their eyes.

What to Expect After Laser Eye Surgery

Patients experience the same long-term success regardless of the type of surgery they undergo. Refractive laser eye surgery usually eliminates the need for distance vision correction; however, most patients will require glasses to improve their near vision at some point in the future. This is due to presbyopia, a condition that occurs in everyone as they age and typically begins around the age of 40.

Caring for you before and after surgery

In addition to referring you to an experienced and trustworthy ophthalmologist for your surgery, our team will coordinate your preliminary assessment and postoperative surgical care. During your initial consultation, our optometrists will review your candidacy and take time to address any questions or concerns you may have, ensuring you fully understand what to expect with refractive laser eye surgery.

After your surgery, our optometrists will perform five to eight follow-up examinations over a period of one year to confirm your eyes are healing properly and your vision is stable.