Refractive Surgery Lab

See the world clearly from the moment you wake up!

Refractive surgery is the set of surgical techniques used on millions of people worldwide to correct refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Essentially, these are procedures that adjust the focus of the eye so that we can see clearly without needing glasses or contact lenses. There are several different techniques, and each time the one that will offer the best result for each patient is selected. Thanks to technological advances and our experience, these techniques are completely safe and capable of meeting the needs of patients.

The main goal of refractive surgery is to change the curvature of the cornea by reshaping its surface using a laser. The result is that light is focused on the retina, giving us clear vision without glasses. At LVO, two systems are used for this purpose: the Excimer laser MEL90 Carl Zeiss Meditec (GERMANY) and the latest generation Intralase iFS Femtosecond Laser from AMO (USA). Both lasers are highly accurate and directional, capable of correcting the main refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) in the cornea, as well as errors that affect the detail of the focus (high-order aberrations).

In cases of patients with specific characteristics that do not allow laser treatment, or with very high refractive error, intraocular lens implantation or crystalline lens replacement surgery may be performed. In this case, the correction is performed inside the eye instead of on the surface and has equally good results.

Excimer laser MEL90 Carl Zeiss Meditec (GERMANY)

ZEISS MEL 90 - Excimer Laser Solutions - Cornea & Refractive

LASIK – Femtosecond LASIK

Conventional method (LASIK):

With this method, the refractive error is corrected not on the surface, but inside the cornea. The surgeon first creates a thin surface flap of corneal tissue using a special instrument called a microkeratome. This flap is not completely detached, but remains attached to the cornea on one side. This flap is then lifted, revealing the inner layers of the cornea, and the laser is applied, which changes the curvature of the cornea and corrects the refractive error. Finally, the surgeon replaces the flap in its position without the need for stitches. The procedure is performed with anesthetic drops, takes a few minutes for each eye, and is painless. This procedure was developed about 25 years ago by Professor Pallikaris at the University of Crete and is currently the most popular refractive surgery worldwide.

Femtosecond LASIK: The most modern method of refractive correction using exclusively Femtosecond Laser:

Today at LVO, the creation of the surface flap for LASIK is performed using the latest generation Intralase iFS Femtosecond Laser from AMO , which provides the most advanced high-precision, high-speed, and directional technology platform in Greece speed, and directionality, eliminating the need for a scalpel to create the flap and performing the incision with absolute precision and with characteristics and dimensions selected by the surgeon, depending on the specific characteristics of the patient’s eye. After the flap is created, the refractive error is corrected with a laser that changes the curvature of the cornea, as in conventional LASIK. Vision is restored immediately, as patients see clearly right after surgery. The procedure takes a few minutes for each eye, is painless, and is performed with anesthetic drops.

Femtosecond LASIK Method – Video

PRK

This technique is based on the photodegradation of the surface layers of the cornea in order to change its curvature and focus light on the retina. The procedure takes a few minutes for each eye. First, a special tool is used to remove the surface membrane in a central area of the cornea (epithelium). The laser then acts on the surface of the cornea, correcting the refractive error. At the end of the procedure, the surgeon places a contact lens to help the membrane heal within the next three to four days. The procedure is performed with anesthetic drops and is painless.

t-PTK- PRK

With this method, the procedure is performed entirely with a laser. The surface membrane (epithelium) is removed with a laser and then the refractive error is corrected on the surface of the cornea. This technique does not use mechanical methods to remove the surface membrane and perform the correction, resulting in virtually “no contact” with the cornea. The procedure takes a few minutes for each eye. The procedure is performed with drops, as with PRK, and then a contact lens is placed until the epithelium heals for about three to four days.

LASEK

In this method, a dilute alcohol solution is used to separate the surface membrane (epithelium) from the wall of the cornea, and then a laser is applied to change the curvature of the cornea, as in PRK. The epithelium is repositioned on the cornea and, at the end of the procedure, the surgeon places a contact lens until healing is complete within the next three to four days. The procedure takes a few minutes for each eye, is painless, and is performed with anesthetic drops.

Phakic Refractive Lens Implantation

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, lasts 10-15 minutes for each eye, and requires a total of 3 days of hospitalization. There is usually a 1-2 day interval between the right and left eye procedures. The method is usually recommended for people under the age of 45, as the crystalline lens begins to cloud with age and replacement is preferred. Also, with the insertion of an intraocular lens, the adjustment and therefore the near vision of the individual is maintained, since the crystalline lens remains in place. The results of the method are immediate and very satisfactory.

Replacement of the crystalline lens with an intraocular lens (Clear Lens Extraction, CLE)

It is used for moderate to severe myopia and hyperopia, mainly in older people (over 45 years of age), when cataracts begin to develop, i.e. clouding of the crystalline lens. It is essentially a procedure similar to cataract surgery, which simultaneously corrects the refractive error of the eye. It is performed under local anesthesia (eye drops) and takes 10-15 minutes for each eye. After the surgery, you’ll need to stay in the hospital for a day for monitoring. When the lens is removed, the eye can’t adjust anymore, so you’ll need glasses for close-up vision if a conventional intraocular lens is put in. Today, it is possible to insert a new generation of intraocular lenses, multifocal and adaptive, which restore at least partially the patient’s near vision, i.e. they correct presbyopia to some extent.

Correction of Presbyopia

Presbyopia occurs at the age of 40 and its main symptom is reduced near vision. The person has difficulty reading without glasses at a distance of 35-40 cm and becomes tired after a short period of close work. Normally, when viewing close objects, the crystalline lens changes shape to focus the image on the retina. Presbyopia occurs due to the loss of flexibility and elasticity of this lens. In recent years, the development of effective and permanent surgical treatment for presbyopia has been the subject of intensive research, in which the LVO is at the forefront.

Refractive Surgery Lab

Refractive Surgery Lab