FAQ's for your surgeon

Am I Suitable For Laser Eye Surgery?

Professor Shah is highly experienced and has at his disposal the very latest equipment to ensure successful treatment of the vast majority of patients. Not everyone is suitable for laser eye surgery and other options would be explained, if this were the case. The Midland Eye offers a wide range of refractive treatments and hence you can be sure that you will be offered the solution that best suits your personal needs.

Professor Shah has successfully treated people who are very short sighted (minus 27 prescription) as well those who are very long sighted (plus 12 prescription) or who have complex prescriptions (combined errors). The treatment is often carried out with laser, and where this is inappropriate, lens treatments may be offered.

General Criteria

Laser surgery should be avoided if the patient has thin corneas or eye disease that would effect the outcome/healing process

Patients should be over 20 years old and have a stable prescription

The eye should not have a squint

No history of autoimmune disease

How Long Will It Take? (LASIK)

The actual procedure only takes a couple of minutes per eye. Most people opt to have the procedure carried out on both eyes during the one session. Occasionally it maybe preferable to carry out the procedure on one eye at a time.

Will I Feel Any Pain?

You should not feel any pain during any procedure. Some patients report varying degrees of discomfort after the procedure. This is usually resolved with nothing stronger than paracetamol and is short lived. Most patients feel nothing at all.

Will I Have Perfect Vision After Refractive Surgery?

This varies from person to person. Some do get perfect* vision, some are technically better than 6/6 or 20/20 and some do not achieve either of these outcomes but most are happy with the improvement. For some, (people with very high or complex prescriptions) the goal would simply be to reduce the need for glasses rather than eliminate them altogether.

*Perfect vision is usually assumed to be 6/6 or 20/20 with a regular eye test. Most people have minor aberrations or abnormalities which can be measured that are not always a problem. At The Midland Eye Institute, Wavefront technology aims to improve these minor aberrations as well as the refractive error (short/longsight/astigmatism) for an improved overall result.

I Am Nearly 50 Years Old, Am I Suitable For Laser Correction?

Age effects ability to focus and from the age of 45 upwards most people will need spectacles for reading and this is called presbyopia. Laser correction cannot correct presbyopia. Options are available at The Midland Eye and these would be discussed with you at your consultation.

How Soon After Treatment May I Resume Normal Activities?

Many people report improvements in their vision almost immediately. It is however important that you do not drive until the eye has settled (1-2 days). Most other activities including work can commence the day after treatment. Refrain from swimming for a few weeks as this could increase the risk of a post op infection.

Are There Any Risks Associated With Refractive Treatments?

There are risks associated with all forms of surgery. The risks are relatively low with eye surgery and depend on the type of treatment undertaken. Information about associated risks will be discussed with you at assessment prior to treatment.