MUMBAI, India, May 17 2006 /EHM News Bureau/ -- Imagine waking
up and seeing clearly without having to reach for your glasses or
contact lenses. Laser vision correction (LASIK) with online pachymetry
is making this dream a reality for millions of people worldwide.
With refractive surgery for the treatment of Myopia, Hypermetropia
and Astigmatism gaining popularity, the ESIRIS Schwind Excimer Laser
(Germany) with online pachymetry is a breakthrough in correcting
the refractive error of the eye with a greater degree of accuracy.
The equipment has been installed at Doctor Eye Institute Pvt
Ltd, Mumbai for the first time in India. Says Dr Kumar Doctor, Medical
Director, Doctor Eye Institute, who has introduced this technology
for the first time in India, "The use of excimer laser is a quantum
leap in the precision and safety of refractive surgery over the
previously dominant (manual) technique such as radial keratotomy
(RK) that involved the use of hand-held knife."
Excimer laser with LASIK surgery is performed under anesthetic
eye drops. No injection is necessary. "It is a painless, 10-20 minutes
procedure. Both eyes can be treated at the same time. Work can be
resumed in 24 hours. We are routinely using wave front and topo
guided treatment for best visual outcome and quality of vision at
night," explains Dr Doctor.
The machine is also equipped with the latest orbscan II corneal
topography system used to map the cornea just as scientists map
the Earth. This machine measures the thickness of the cornea, which
helps in determining how much cornea can be fattened in order to
achieve a satisfactory result without disturbing the minimum required
thickness. This helps in minimising tissue damage.
What is Pachymetry? Pachymetry (measurement of corneal thickness)
is important for determining whether adequate corneal tissue exists
for performing the procedure. This is particularly an issue in high
myopia cases, where large amounts of corneal corrections are required.
A few years ago, there were no possibilities to measure the corneal
thickness during refractive corneal surgery or procedure. With this
new system, high-resolution micrometer measurements of corneal thickness
can be taken without the instrument actually touching the eye.
