 Q&A |
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 What does LASIK stand for? |
LASIK is the acronym for laser in situ keratomileusis. The name refers the use of a laser to reshape the cornea without invading the adjacent cell layers. Medically, in situ means confined to the site of origin without invasion of neighboring tissues. Kerato is the Greek word for cornea and mileusis means "to shape." |
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| How does the laser work? |
| The excimer laser uses a cold light beam to sculpt the cornea's surface to the desired shape, correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism. |
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| Do you have to be a certain age to have LASIK? |
| TRSC has set the minimum age for LASIK at 18 years old. There are two main goals in setting a minimum age for LASIK surgery. The first goal is to avoid having to perform a second procedure should the prescription fluctuate over time. The second goal is to allow a person to fully understand the benefits and risks involved with LASIK surgery. For most people, the prescription is stable after about 16 years old. In some cases, adult onset myopia occurs. The best age for you personally would depend on a variety of factors. It is best to meet with a LASIK specialist to provide you with additional information for making this decision. |
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| How does wavefront LASIK compare to conventional LASIK? |
| Wavefront adds a more customized measurement of subtle distortions (called higher order aberrations) than just nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism corrected by conventional LASIK. In a few studies comparing wavefront-guided LASIK to conventional LASIK, a slightly larger percentage of subjects treated with wavefront LASIK achieved 20/20 vision without glasses or contact lenses compared to subjects treated with conventional LASIK. Correcting higher order aberrations can also reduce night vision problems such as haloes and glare. |
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| How important is the choice of a doctor? |
| Your choice of doctor is a crucial decision. Since LASIK operation is a corneal procedure, a cornea specialist is a smart choice. Our surgeons are highly skilled and experienced cornea specialists. |
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| Why do I need to get the HIV blood test? |
In an elective procedure such as LASIK, it is important to have appropriate information about the patient’s general immune status in order to provide the best care for each patient. For our HIV positive patients, we would consult with a trained internist to determine the patient’s immune status (CD-4 count, viral load, etc.) and then decide candidacy for LASIK on an individual basis. HIV positive patients who are determined to be candidates will also perform LASIK one eye at a time as an added safety precaution.
Whether HIV positive or negative, we adhere to ‘universal precaution’ protocol and standard aseptic and sterilizing protocol in handling all instruments. We sterilize all equipment and incinerate all single-use items after each patient. We take great pride in our superb safety record and were the first in Asia to be recognized by ISO 9001:2000 for our excellent safety standards. We continue to meet and exceed these necessary standards. |
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| What does the phrase “Lifetime Service for Lifetime Satisfaction” mean? |
| TRSC has a policy of "Lifetime Service for Lifetime Satisfaction" which means that we will take whatever steps are appropriate to provide you with the best treatment that is available anywhere in the world. With our first class service, we will take good care of your eyes throughout your whole lifetime. In addition, each patient will have their own personal counselors who are on call 24 hours to answer any of your questions or concerns. Link to "Lifetime Service for Lifetime Satisfaction". |
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| If I find out that I am not a LASIK candidate, are there any other options? |
| Yes, at TRSC we offer two other options. One is called PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) which is a type of surface ablation technique. This method is suitable for patients with thin corneas and prescription of less than -8.00 Diopters. Another new method that serves as the best alternative to LASIK is implantable collamer lenses (ICL). Link to ICL You will find that ICL is best suited for non LASIK candidates who have very thin corneas and/or extremely high prescriptions. |
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| Is LASIK the same as LASEK? |
| No, LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis) is a type of surface ablation procedure using the excimer laser to reshape the surface of the cornea. It does not involve the use of a microkeratome. AT TRSC, we have done some studies with LASEK, and found that PRK which is also a type of surface ablation procedure yielded similar results, with less discomfort. |
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| Are both eyes done at the same time?่? |
| In most cases, both eyes are done on the same day. This avoids the period of imbalance that occurs if one eye still needs correction while the other one doesn't. |
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The Eyes and Refractive Errors 
