New Delhi-based MBA student Sonal had a problem. With myopic eyesight of power -4.5, she could not do without her spectacles. But they made her feel uncomfortable, and contact lenses did not agree with her eyes at all. She did not know what to do, till her friends told her about Intralase, or iLasik. A state-of-the-art, blade-free procedure that improves on the now-commonplace Lasik, Intralase is now available in India.
“Initially, I was cautious and afraid. But when my friends reassured me, I took the plunge,” Sonal says. After a painless, 15-minute procedure, she had no regrets. “I no longer need spectacles. My eyes feel perfect,” she exclaims. The story has a happy ending. Sonal graduated successfully, and is now looking for a job.
Like Sonal, thousands of Indians with a variety of eye problems, minor and major, now have the option of relatively painless, quick outpatient procedures based on cutting-edge technology.
How the eye works
It is pretty much like a camera—the cornea and lens in the front of the eye help focus the image onto the retina, which could be regarded as the equivalent of camera film. Problems that ophthalmologists describe as “refractive errors”—such as near-sightedness and far-sightedness—occur when the lens and cornea do not focus light properly, so that the image is either focused in front of the retina, or is not in focus by the time it reaches the retina.
See: Common eye elements
What is Lasik?
Spectacles and contact lenses help adjust light rays so they actually focus on the retina. But, for many, these are uncomfortable external objects. For them, Lasik was the first-generation option. Simply put, it was a computerized laser procedure in which the cornea was reshaped so that the light focused at the right place without spectacles.
More than 16 million people across the world have opted for the procedure and, according to the first review of its scientific literature by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 95.4% patients are satisfied with the results.
But, not everyone is a suitable candidate for Lasik. It is not recommended, for example, for those with thin corneas.
New versions of Lasik
A range of technologies—such as guided iLasik, Intralase, epiLasik, Intacs and phakic intraocular lenses—is available for various eye-related problems. Using these technologies to get rid of spectacles is not merely a matter of vanity. It can even enhance one’s career options. For example, 20/20 vision is needed for pilots, and dependence on spectacles can lead to disqualification. But commercial airlines have agreed to take on pilots who have opted for such procedures, says Mahipal Sachdev, director, Centre for Sight, Delhi.
A case study