Health

Hypermetropia and Laser Eye Surgery

Hypermetropia is also referred as the long sightedness in which the person is able to see the images at the distance more clearly as compared to the images at the closer view. Scientifically, in this defect the light rays are focused behind the retina that should be correctly formed on the retina. Hypermetropia is caused either by the flattening of the cornea or the shortening of the eyeball. The defect can even be caused due to the combination of both.

The Laser surgery corrects the Hypermetropia by making the cornea of the eye steeper so as the rays of the light get refocused at the back of the eye.

Laser corneal sculpting is the medical procedure to treat Hypermetropia which consists of the use of the laser in order to reshape the surface of eye.

The cornea of the eye is the transparent tissue which covers the front of eye and helps in controlling the focus. In the laser surgery, a computer-controlled laser is utilized for removing the microscopic amounts of the tissue from the front surface of the eye called the cornea.

In the operation called photorefractive keratectomy, a thin outer layer from the cornea that is called the corneal epithelium is removed and then the underlying layers are reshaped.

In LASIK laser surgery, a thin flap of the corneal tissue is made with a fine instrument called a microkeratome or a femtosecond laser. After that the flap is lifted out and the underlying tissue is reshaped and then the flap is replaced so as to cover the new recontoured surface.

Hypermetropia is not the disease but only a defect in the eye that is needed to be treated by surgery only in cases if the person can not wear eye glasses or the contact lenses. The person should be of minimum age of 20 to consider the laser surgery. The refractive error should be stable. The people suffering from diabetes, the uncontrolled rheumatic conditions or the diseases of immune system should avoid the surgery. The people with abnormally shaped cornea or very thin cornea should also avoid it.

The laser does not burn the tissue instead vaporizes the small amounts of cornea in each shot. The diameter of laser beam as well as the number of pulses is directed are controlled by the computer technology.

After the surgery the person can the eyes dried or even may get an infection that is to be treated with the antibiotics.