Am I a Candidate?

If you are interested in laser vision correction, Dr. Yew can provide a pre-operative evaluation where she will review your ocular and medical history along with performing a complete assessment of your vision and eye health. She will determine if you are a good candidate and discuss the different refractive surgery options available to you. She would be happy to go over your questions about the procedure, and make a referral to a renown laser vision centre closest to you. Dr. Yew also provides post-operative care to ensure you are on your way to recovery and better vision. 

 
 

Common Laser Vision Correction Procedures:

LASIK (Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis)↓

LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) is the most common refractive surgery procedure, and works for people who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism. The doctor creates a flap in the outer layer of your cornea and then uses a laser to reshape the front surface tissue of your eye so that light can focus properly on your retina. Recovery time is generally rapid and vision becomes fairly clear within 24 hours.


PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy)↓

PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is used to correct mild to moderate nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. The outer epithelial layer of the cornea is removed, and a laser is then used similarly to LASIK to reshape the cornea. The recovery time is generally longer than in LASIK as the superficial epithelial layer needs to heal over completely and involves wearing a bandage contact lens for the first 2-4 days. It is a safe and effective procedure although vision improves more slowly over time (usually a few months) compared to LASIK. PRK is usually recommended in specific circumstances which may affect your suitability for LASIK, such as having a thin cornea.


RLE (Refractive Lens Exchange)↓

RLE (refractive lens exchange), otherwise known as clear lens extraction, replaces your eye’s natural lens with an artificial implant to correct your refractive error. It is usually used for people with presbyopia or high levels of farsightedness where other laser vision correction procedures may not be suitable. The procedure is identical to cataract surgery, however in RLE, the natural lens being replaced is clear and not cloudy from a cataract.


Corneal Crosslinking↓

Corneal Cross Linking is used in the treatment of keratoconus, a progressive eye disease characterized by a thinning and bulging of the cornea. This condition leads to increasingly distorted vision, glare, and irregular astigmatism, and generally begins during the teenage years to early 20s. Corneal crosslinking is performed to strengthen and stabilize the cornea to slow or stop the progression of keratoconus. A solution called riboflavin is applied to the cornea and is then exposed to UV light to create cross-links between connective tissue fibres and provide strength to the cornea.