Is Lens Replacement Surgery Better Than LASIK Surgery?

Lens Replacement Treatments

Most of the information we gain from our five combined senses is from our sense of sight. That is why so many of our activities and interactions rely on vision. Those with blurred vision can find it extremely unsettling and can struggle with using glasses or contact lenses. But, with the help of surgical advancement, you can live a life without blurry glazed vision. There are many techniques to help treat refractive errors. A refractive error is an eye condition in which light doesn’t focus correctly behind the lens onto the retina. 

 In the eyes, the cornea usually converges (refracts) light precisely onto the retina at the back of the eye. Your surgeon will decide a procedure that suits you best according to your concerns and condition. In the UK, several people want a life where they can see a world in good condition without depending on contact lenses and glasses. Several lens replacement specialists and LASIK specialists in London can help you eliminate all the troubles of contact lenses and glasses.  In the UK alone over 0.3 million people are choosing this procedure.  So, between LASIK and lens replacement surgery, which one is right for you?  

What is LASIK?

Lasik  is an acronym for laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses. The cornea is a transparent dome-shaped membrane that covers the front of the eye, and this procedure is involved in reshaping it. LASIK starts with a special laser by creating a flap on the cornea’s surface. Then the flap is raised from the cornea, and a microscopic amount of tissue is removed. Before the operation, this procedure is preprogrammed, which is tailored to each patient. According to the patient’s refractive error, the corresponding amount of tissue is removed. The flap is then positioned evenly over the area from where microscopic tissue is taken, facilitating the healing process. This procedure is entirely painless and can be over within 10 minutes. The patient can also get treatment of both eyes together simultaneously. Successful LASIK surgery significantly reduces the need for glasses and contact lenses. 

Am I Eligible For LASIK Surgery?

Not all people are suitable for LASIK. There are criteria based on which ophthalmologist decides whether it benefits the patient or not. The criteria for a good LASIK candidate is: 

  • Your eyes must be healthy 
  • Your cornea must have sufficient thickness 
  • Your pupil must not be too large 
  • You must be 18 years or older 
  • Your eyes can’t be too dry 
  • You must not have any history or finding of corneal disease 
  • You should have a previous prescription of regular eyeglasses and contact lenses for at least 3 years 

The Advantages of LASIK surgery

  1. In LASIK surgery, both eyes are operated on simultaneously 
  2. The procedure is painless 
  3. The healing process is rapid 
  4. If you are young, you maintain your ability to see up close 
  5.  The vision is corrected immediately or a day after surgery 
  6.  No stitches and bandages are required after LASIK 
  7. After LASIK, there is a dramatic reduction in contact lenses and glasses usage 

The Disadvantages of LASIK surgery

  1. Flap complications, i.e., flap wrinkles up, leads to distorted vision, the flap breaks and becomes incomplete somehow 
  2. Dry eye, for which patient requires repeated instillation of eye drops of artificial tears 
  3. There are limitations for the LASIK procedure in patients with a thin cornea or excessive refractive error 
  4. Sometimes, post LASIK procedure, the patient requires multiple treatments. There is also a risk of vision loss, requiring a cornea transplant to correct vision as this procedure is performed on a sensitive eye area 
  5. There is also a risk of overcorrection or under correctio. 
  6. Decrease in sharpness and contrast sensitivity 

What is Lens Replacement surgery?

A lens replacement surgery in London is effective for all patients who can’t be treated by laser surgery. In LASIK, a small amount of tissue is removed from the cornea that allows the eye to focus the light correctly on a patient’s retina. With a lens replacement procedure, a natural lens (located within the eye, behind the pupil) is removed instead of tissue from the cornea. Next, an artificial plastic lens is put in to the eye.  

In addition, this lens will have perfect requirements as per the patient’s specific needs. This procedure is similar to cataract surgery, which an older person requires in the case of cloudiness of natural eye lens. A cataract is a condition of old age, mainly over 40, but it can also occur in younger people. Cataract develops due to the cloudiness of the eye’s lens and causes vision to become dull, oversensitive or impaired. 

Quality of life decreases due to cataracts. The eye’s natural cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial one in cataract surgery. Lens replacement surgery in London is typically “refractive lens exchange,” a condition in which a clear natural lens is replaced by an artificial one, commonly done in patients suffering from presbyopia. Lens replacement surgery in London is also done for cataract surgery, in which an artificial lens replaces a natural cloudy eye lens. During cataract surgery, the patient’s near-sightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism are corrected depending upon the patient’s condition. If a patient suffers from a cataract, the best option to treat it surgically is lens replacement surgery. LASIK is not helpful as it intervenes on only the cornea, but cataract is a problem of the eye lens. 

Types of lenses for Lens Replacement Surgery in London

Several types of lenses are used for lens replacement surgery in London 

  • Monofocal Lenses: It only fixes distant vision issues and requires glasses for near vision, such as reading a book. 
  • Multifocal Lenses: The main advantage of this lens is that it corrects both near and far vision, so the need for the use of glasses is eliminated. In London, many lens replacement specialists recommend this type of lens. 
  • Toric Lenses: It is designed to treat moderate to high astigmatism, but the need for glasses for near vision remains. 
  • Trifocal Lenses: this is by far the best lens, which provides the best sensitivity and contrast to every colour of light

Am I Eligible For Lens Replacement Surgery?

You are a good candidate for refractive lens replacement surgery in London if: 

  • You develop presbyopia. 
  • If your age is more than 40 
  • Your lens has developed cloudiness from cataracts 
  • You are suffering from severe refractive error, which can‘t be corrected by LASIK surgery 
  • You have myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism 

 

The Advantages of Lens Replacement Surgery.

  1. Lens replacement surgery is by far the best method that deals with the main concerns of a patient suffering from a blurred vision that can’t be treated in any other way 
  2. Results of lens replacement surgery are stable 
  3. The risk of regression over time is minimal 
  4. This procedure is helpful for all the significant refractive errors which can‘t be treated by LASIK 
  5. Lens replacement surgery is a permanent solution for presbyopia 
  6. The placement of an artificial lens inside the eye eliminates the chance of a cataract in the future, as it cannot develop in an artificial lens 
  7. It is a safe surgery. The main benefit of this surgery is that a correct lens remains in an eye forever 

The Disadvantages of Lens Replacement Surgery.

  1. This procedure requires the placement of a lens inside the eye, so this procedure takes some time 
  2. This procedure requires more healing time than LASIK surgery 
  3. Recovery of vision takes a few days as compared to LASIK 
  4. One eye is treated at one time and several days apart 
  5. If a mono-focal lens is implanted, a patient needs near glasses to read a book 
  6. It can also lead to bleeding, infection, retinal detachment and glaucoma 

To know more about glaucoma and cataract, try to visit our website: https://harleyvision.com/. 

What to do after lens surgery?

  • Avoid swimming for at least a week 
  • Try to avoid any finger contact with your eye 
  • Don’t fatigue your eyes by watching television and using mobile phones too much 
  • Don’t drive for a few days after surgery 

Lens Replacement Vs LASIK

LASIK

LENS REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Suitable For

  • Mild to moderate myopia
  • Hyperopic patient
  • Corneal Astigmatism
  • Excessive myopia and hyperopia
  • Presbyopia in old age
  • Lenticular astigmatism
  • Early cataracts

Not Suitable For

  • Decreased corneal thickness
  • Cataracts
  • Severe corneal astigmatism
  • Retinal issues
  • Patients suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Procedure

  • For each eye, it takes up to 10 minutes.
  • Both eyes are treated simultaneously.
  • Initial healing takes 7-10 days.
  • Depending upon the lens, adaptation develops within 3-12 weeks.

Advantages

  • The procedure is painless.
  • The healing process is rapid.
  • Lens replacement surgery is a permanent solution for Presbyopia. 
  • The risk of regression over time is minimum.

Disadvantages

  • Dryness of an eye.
  • Limitations of LASIK procedure in patients with a thin cornea or excessive refractive error.
  • More time is required for healing than LASIK.
  • It can also lead to bleeding, infection, retinal detachment, and glaucoma.

Conclusion

Always consult your doctor, whether LASIK or lens replacement surgery benefits you or not. Your doctor will decide according to your lifestyle, condition of your eyes, vision, and goals. LASIK is the best option for younger patients. Still, if you are older than 50, lens replacement surgery is the best option as it provides long-term benefits and prevents cataracts from developing. To live a life without the dependency on glasses and contact lenses, contact your doctor in London. There are several lens replacement specialists in London. To get more insights, feel free to book an appointment with us.

Cornea Transplant Surgery: What You Need To Know

Cornea transplant surgery involves surgically removing the patient’s partially or entirely damaged cornea and replacing it with a healthy donor cornea. The cornea is a transparent structure that plays a vital role in vision and light perception. Situated in front of the pupil, iris, and anterior chamber, the cornea’s function is to focus the refracted rays into the lens and subsequently retina for vision facilitation.

At times, factors like infections, degeneration, or other conditions result in decreased transparency or infectious state of the cornea. This results in vision loss accompanied by symptomatic issues like severe pain, redness, and inflammation with other issues. This impairs your daily life activities and overall quality of life through impaired vision. Corneal transplant surgery is recommended when other treatment options fail or do not produce satisfactory vision recovery or symptomatic relief.

Cornea Transplant in London

The technological and infrastructural superiority of the UK over other nations worldwide has resulted in many developments in London’s healthcare economy. Most importantly, it has resulted in an influx of medical tourism and subsequent skilled medical practitioners. Cornea transplant in London is considered one the best among western countries. The most important reasons for this development being
– Superior surgical technology
– Awareness among people about eye donation
– Experienced and skilled medical practitioners

 

Superior Surgical Technology

Before understanding the technology, it is first essential to know about the structure of the cornea. The cornea, apart from being a transparent avascular structure, is divided into five layers:

    1. Epithelium-absorbs nutrients and tears from the tear film and conveys it to the rest of the cornea.
    2. Bowman’s membrane- works as a physical barrier to protect the sub epithelial nerve plexus and help in sensory recovery
    3. Bowman’s membrane- works as a physical barrier to protect the sub epithelial nerve plexus and help in sensory recovery
    4. Descemet’s membrane -anchors endothelium to the cornea while allowing entry of nutrients and micro molecules into the stroma
    5. Endothelium- helps maintain clarity of cornea with its dehydrated state.

In short, impact to the epithelium and Bowman’s membrane can be repaired and the cornea regenerated with superficial scarring. But more profound impacts than that lead to severe scarring, vision loss, and compromise to the structure of the cornea.

Since its advent in 1903, the corneal transplant has come a long way from replacing a full-thickness cornea with all its layers to the corneal replacement of only the infected layers. Keeping in pace with the surgical advancements, cornea transplant in London is performed through EK or Endothelial Keratoplasty methods. Considered a superior approach to traditional procedures, EK cornea transplant in London involves the techniques of:

A. PALK (Pachymetry Assisted Lamellar Keratoplasty) 

 

This is useful in fragile corneal conditions like advanced keratoconus. Conditions of corneal ectasia after LASIK procedure and corneal cases with anterior stromal opacities respond well to the PALK transplant method.
B. DALK (Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty)
It is recommended for cases of keratoconus and corneal scars. In this method, a corneal transplant is conducted of the first three layers while the person’s Descemet’s Membrane and endothelium are left intact.
C. DSEK (Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty)
In this method, only the Descemet’s Membrane and Endothelium of cornea are removed and replaced with donor Descemet’s Membrane and endothelium. DSEK is indicated for cases of surgically acquired corneal damage (bullous keratopathy) or to replace a failed previous graft of corneal transplant.
D. DMEK (Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty)
In this case, the stroma is replaced with the Descemet’s Membrane and Endothelium while keeping the epithelium and Bowman’s membrane intact. DMEK is indicated in cases of hereditary or acquired Endothelial dystrophy or for managing cases of failed Endothelial transplant.
These methods require great precision and skills for a good outcome. None of these methods have a 100 % success rate. The risk of graft rejection though less than in cases of penetrating Keratoplasty is still evident.

Eminent ophthalmology centers, like Harley Vision, practice Cornea transplants in London using superior surgical techniques. The specialized medical infrastructure and advanced eye bank technology considerably improve the success rate of surgery by providing an excellent visual prognosis afterward.

 

Awareness Among People Regarding Aye Donation

A transplant is virtually impossible without a donor cornea. The United Kingdom has witnessed an increased graph of eye donors in the last decade. Increased awareness among the citizens regarding corneal donation is an important reason behind the success of Corneal Transplant in London. Several conditions make it essential to opt for a corneal transplant. Some of these conditions are:

● Extensive and irreversible corneal damage due to scarring of internal layers (Traumatic or congenital)
● Pseudophakic or Aphakic Bullous keratopathy- Surgical induced corneal inflammation and damage during cataract surgery.
● Severe Keratoconus conditions- A condition of extensive corneal scarring due to the irregular conical shape of the cornea
● Previous failed corneal transplant surgery.

In all of these cases, a suitable donor cornea is as essential for the success of surgery as other surgical factors. Donor corneas are obtained from eye banks that play a crucial role in recovering, preparing, and delivering donated eyes for corneal transplant surgery. Public awareness regarding eye donation has increased donor corneas and, subsequently frequency of cornea transplant cases in London.
The innovative and holistic approach of doctors like Dr. Mukhtar Bizrah has provided visual, symptomatic, and psychological relief to numerous visually impaired patients opting for cornea replacement in London.

 

Experienced And Skilled Medical Practitioners

Apart from availability, several aspects of donor cornea can impact the success of a cornea replacement surgery. Foremost is the quality of donor graft. Depending on the donor they are procured from, corneas are graded from average to excellent depending on corneal condition. Second comes the surgical techniques. Corneal transplants require surgical precision for transplant procedure. Fine incisions are necessary to avoid damaging the layers to be transplanted.
The surgeon’s skills become crucial at this moment to ensure an effective corneal transplant, keeping in mind the above factors. The surgeons’ skills with a vast experience of handling transplantation cases have resulted in the success and increasing demand for cornea replacement in London. Dr. Mukhtar Bizrah has performed hundreds of successful transplant surgeries to date. He is known for his minimally invasive keyhole transplant surgery that maximizes visual outcome and considerably reduces the risk of rejection.
The success of a corneal transplant surgery ranges from 65-90%. Proper pre-operative and post-operative care is vital for the success of the corneal transplant. Eminent cornea replacement centers in London and other places provide a care guidelines booklet. This makes it easier for the patient to be educated and aware of their condition.
Many visually impaired patients who can benefit from a cornea transplant surgery are prevented from doing so because of the increased cost of a cornea transplant and its somewhat uncertain outcome. Apart from the increased success rate of corneal transplants, Dr. Mukhtar Bizrah provides his services to needy people undergoing cornea replacement in London at affordable costs.

 

Cornea Transplant Cost In London

In London, cornea transplant cost is not the same at all centers but varies in different medical centers. Cornea transplant cost in London depends on
– Type of Cornea transplant
– Cost related to donor graft
– Your insurance policies and healthcare plans

Apart from these, the services of your surgeon, medical team, and hospital costs directly influence the cost of cornea replacement in London. Some surgeons actively practice cornea replacement in London paired with other ocular procedures like cataract surgeries. This impacts the overall cornea transplant cost in London.

The clinic’s location is another critical factor impacting the cornea transplant cost in London. Clinics at the heart of the city are easily accessible by transport facilities. They are also near accommodation facilities and eateries that make it convenient for the person’s attendant. An easy-to-accessible location makes it suitable for the patient to attend regular follow-up sessions after cornea replacement in London.

 

Not All Can Donate Or Receive A Cornea.

Despite the success of Cornea replacement in London and increasing awareness about it, some important factors need to be understood. Not all are eligible to undergo surgery or donate their eyes for cornea replacement.

You cannot get a corneal transplant if you have non-corneal reasons for vision impairment, like glaucoma-induced optic atrophy or retinal impairment. The risks of graft rejection after surgery if the scarring is due to infectious conditions that are viral or fungal. Additionally, severely damaged conical corneas or graft rejection have a better prognosis.

Most importantly, corneal impairment due to chemical burns cannot be treated by corneal transplant. In this condition, corneal replacement is performed through Keratoprosthesis, an advanced method of corneal transplant performed by very limited surgeons.

Like in corneal transplants, there exists donor graft selection criteria. For DMEK cornea transplant, donor age must be between 50-75 years. Donor age can be between 2-75 years. Additionally, people who have had refractive surgeries other than cataract surgery are not eligible donors.

Donor awareness and patient education about cornea transplants are as crucial as the surgeon’s skills for a successful cornea replacement. Only a harmonious balance between the two can ensure a successful cornea transplant or cornea replacement operation.