Health

Refractive Surgery: How It Works, Risks And Recovery

The procedure is quick and aims to reduce dependence on prescription glasses. Find out how it works and what the indications are. People with high-grade vision disorder can hardly do without their grade glasses (or contact lenses). 

The higher the degree, the greater the dependency. Some people are already used to this reality, but others can’t wait to get rid of their glasses and be able to see well regardless of this external “help.” For this, there is an alternative: the so-called refractive surgery, a laser procedure that can correct myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia. In some cases, it can also alleviate presbyopia, known as “tired eyes,” in people over 40.

The front part of our eyes has a natural lens, the cornea. In refractive surgery, lasers act directly on this lens, modifying its shape and correcting the degree. The procedure lasts about 5 to 10 minutes on each eye and can be performed on an outpatient basis or in a hospital without hospitalization. Anesthesia is done with the application of eye drops in the eyes. 

Who Can Have Refractive Surgery?

To perform the surgery, you must meet certain prerequisites. “Unfortunately, not all people who wear glasses are eligible for the surgery. Having a healthy cornea, present stability of the degree, and being over 18 years old is necessary.

Who will assess whether surgery is a good option is a doctor. “A well-done preoperative evaluation is important, with measurement of the degree before and after dilating the eyes and a thorough evaluation of the cornea and retina by the ophthalmologist. It is recommended to suspend contact lenses like contact lenses near me a few days before the consultation and then a few days before the surgery.

Possible Complications

There is a risk of not adequately correcting the degree and the need to operate again in 1 to 5% of cases. There is also a risk of infection and the creation of corneal irregularities. It may even be that the patient suffers from an accentuated vision over time, but this is very rare. In the event of the need to redo the operation, the LASIK or PRK technique can be used again. 

Cost Of Surgery

So far, the Unified Health System (SUS) does not perform PRK surgery. However, the procedure can be done with the contribution of some health plans and clinics like discover vision for example.