Refractive eye surgery

Refractive surgery corrects focusing problems of the eye in one of two ways:

Changing the shape of the cornea using laser correction
Removing the natural lens (either with or without a cataract) and inserting an artificial replacement. Multifocal lenses may be used to significantly reduce dependence on spectacles, giving similar vision in both eyes.

It is possible to achieve monovision with refractive surgery, where one eye is focused for distant vision and the other for reading. This should reduce your dependence on glasses but in our experience some people can find it difficult to adjust to. We therefore recommend discussing a trial with your optician first if you are considering refractive surgery.

Any astigmatism present can be corrected at the time of surgery either with carefully placed incisions on the cornea or by using toric lenses. Please note that there is a small additional cost for these special toric lenses.

The refractive surgery process
Mr Gerard Ainsworth will first see you locally to perform diagnostic tests. Refractive surgery will then be performed at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and all subsequent follow up will take place locally. Continuity of care with the same surgeon is guaranteed and you can be assured that you are in safe hands – Mr Ainsworth has performed over 900 refractive procedures.

Please be aware that many patients still need to wear glasses for some activities after surgery – we can advise further if this is likely to apply to you.

If you have any questions at all, please ask.

PLEASE NOTE:
As with any surgical procedure, it is important to understand there is a small inherent risk involved. These will be discussed fully with you and may include: haziness of the cornea, infection, under-correction and over-correction. In LASIK there are potential risks to the cut corneal flap including inflammation, infection and dislodgment of the flap.