Refractive Surgery Blackrock Clinic

Refractive Surgery

What is Refractive Surgery ?
The idea behind refractive surgery is to produce small changes in the surface layers of the cornea, which will in turn produce significant changes in the way the eye focuses light.

The Technology
International experience since 1983 has resulted in the widespread acceptance and use of the Excimer Laser in the treatment of short sight, long sight and astigmatism.

The Excimer Laser is in use in over 45 countries and since 1989 it is estimated that over 8 million laser procedures have been performed world-wide.

Here at Blackrock Clinic we use the latest generation of Excimer Laser with Wavescan mapping technology. The laser incorporates variable beam technology with an active eye tracking system using iris recognition software.

Using this highly advanced technology, the surface of the cornea is reshaped with extreme precision in a matter of only seconds. This allows light to focus clearly on the retina.

How Does the Excimer Laser Work ?
To correct shortsight (myopia) the cornea needs to be made flatter. This can be achieved by removing microscopic amounts of tissue from the centre of the cornea.

To correct long sight (hyperopia), the centre of the cornea needs to be made steeper. This can be achieved by removing tissue from a circular area surrounding, but not including the centre of the cornea.

To correct astigmatism the shape of the cornea needs to be altered to a more spherical form. With the use of the laser the laser beam can be programmed to alter the pattern of the beam to remove more tissue in certain areas.