Otitis

Vision correction for hypermetropia. Laser correction of farsightedness

After a certain age, most people develop a disease called age-related farsightedness. In this case, vision can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. But if you want to get rid of it forever, then you should consider an option such as laser correction. We talk about the advantages of the operation in this article.

Characteristics and main causes of farsightedness

Senile farsightedness, scientifically known as presbyopia, is a vision defect that is characterized by a blurred image of nearby objects and objects, especially if working with them is carried out in a poorly lit room. In this case, the picture located at a far distance remains unchanged.

Why does a person develop presbyopia? Experts explain its occurrence by the fact that the lens loses the ability to naturally accommodate, that is, it stops independently changing focus from close to far (and vice versa), while maintaining image clarity. The fact is that along with the changes that occur in the body as a whole, the lens also ages and becomes denser. The muscles of the eye that are responsible for holding it become weaker. As a result, a person is unable to see objects clearly.
Unfortunately, presbyopia is an irreversible disease that everyone faces sooner or later. The only thing is that everyone’s disease progresses differently. If you have previously encountered such an ailment as farsightedness, then you are at risk.

Symptoms of age-related farsightedness

Below we list the most common symptoms of age-related farsightedness, which are most often identified by experts. But let’s make a reservation that if you have identified them in yourself, then under no circumstances should you immediately self-medicate: buy drops, order glasses and contact lenses. First, make an appointment with an ophthalmologist: a competent specialist will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment depending on the age and degree of the disease.

Presbyopia is characterized by:

blurred image;
difficulty seeing pictures or letters or studying objects up close;
difficulty understanding fonts when reading and writing;
the need to move objects over a long distance:
frequent headaches and eye fatigue.

Is it possible to somehow improve vision with farsightedness?

Modern medicine and ophthalmology have highly professional and innovative equipment and capabilities to solve the problems associated with presbyopia. A competent and timely examination by a specialist will allow you to quickly determine the presence of the disease and begin correcting age-related farsightedness.

There are several ways:

medicinal (used for prevention and in the initial stages);
optical (glasses or lenses);
surgical.

It should be said that optical products will solve the problem only temporarily and will not allow the disease to develop further. If you want to correct your vision and get rid of the disease forever, you should resort to surgery. Let's consider each of the methods separately.

Correction using optical products

This method is still the most common for correcting age-related farsightedness and is used as an alternative to surgical intervention. It is also one of the most affordable types of optical correction for age-related farsightedness. To do this, the doctor prescribes special bifocal glasses with two zones: one for focusing at a long distance, the second for focusing at a close distance. They also resort to purchasing two pairs of glasses designed to work at different distances. As for contact products, today there is much more choice in this segment. Modern materials and technologies make it possible for older people to use lenses without discomfort and without harm to health. Among the advantages it is worth highlighting:

the presence of a peripheral and central zone;
innovative manufacturing materials (silicone hydrogel);
the ability to choose the duration of use (one-day, planned or traditional replacement) and wearing (daytime, prolonged, only nighttime is possible).

Operation. What are they?

To radically solve the problem with presbyopia, surgery is needed, as mentioned above. One of the most popular and safest surgical methods is laser vision correction, which has many advantages compared to other types of operations (implantation of phakic lenses and refractive lens replacement, or lensectomy).

The first method is suitable for those who have the third degree of the disease (+20 diopters), and the natural accommodation of the eye is preserved. The second is also used if the eye is capable of focusing, and the doctor has diagnosed age-related farsightedness of the third degree. The difference between the operations lies in the age of the patient: lensectomy can be performed on people over 50 years of age, which certainly expands the range of those operated on.

Laser correction. Let's talk about the benefits

This is an effective and safe method if a person has a disease of the first or second degree, the dioptres do not exceed +5, and the patient’s age is not more than 45 years. Laser correction for farsightedness lasts no more than half an hour, and after one and a half to two hours a person begins to see.

At the moment, LASIK is considered the most common technique (it has existed for more than thirty years). However, it has its own nuances: the operation allows you to adjust your vision either on distant or close objects. That is, a person who decides to correct age-related farsightedness faces a dilemma: to resort to glasses only when working close up and to distinguish objects well at long distances, or vice versa.

Recently, another technique has appeared in ophthalmology, called Presby LASIK. Using the Teneo excimer laser and the Victus femtosecond laser, doctors regulate the functioning of each eye individually: one is given the opportunity to look into the distance without any interference, while the other is “left” myopic. Fortunately, it is small (up to -1 diopter). The peculiarity of this method is that not every patient can
adapt to such laser vision correction for age-related farsightedness: some people experience headaches due to the difference in diopters, and this operation is not durable, and sooner or later you will still have to use glasses.

Which method of laser correction of farsightedness to choose can only be decided by a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics and nature of the disease.

And yet, laser vision correction has a number of unconditional advantages:

efficiency of execution;
no rehabilitation period;
no stitches required;
is done as a preventive measure for eye cataracts.

What else you need to know about laser correction

Often, many people attribute the first signs of vision problems after 50 years to a general malaise of the body, thereby risking their eye health.
You need to clearly understand that after 50 years the whole body becomes very vulnerable to many diseases, and if earlier some problem disappeared, then at 50 years it will make itself felt.

In some cases, a decrease in the quality of vision not only indicates the need for laser correction of age-related farsightedness, but may also be one of the symptoms of cataracts or retinal diseases. You should visit an ophthalmologist every year, as well as undergo an examination of the body as a whole, especially after 50 years. And remember that only a specialist can select the right type of treatment and explain in detail whether laser vision correction is necessary or not for age-related farsightedness.

Treatment age-related farsightedness prescribed by a doctor. Many older people (especially after 40) often suffer from age-related farsightedness (its scientific name is presbyopia). At the same time, they are prescribed reading glasses or specialized bifocal glasses.
This problem occurs as the lens of the eye ages; its fibers gradually become denser and the lens loses its natural ability to accommodate. Age-related farsightedness, however, is not accompanied by elongation of the eyeball, so treatment of the disease with laser correction plays a very limited role.

Probably, each of us has noticed that people forty and older often put on glasses to read, or try to read the text without glasses, moving it as far away as possible, although this does not always help. Wearing glasses for work or reading with age-related farsightedness is inevitable. Many people are very frightened by this fact, so people often turn to specialized ophthalmological centers and clinics with a request to rid them of glasses. In this case, the patient has to make a difficult decision!

If you have never worn glasses before the age of 40, and now you have age-related farsightedness (or presbyopia, for which, as a rule, glasses near +1.0 help), then, having removed these pluses +1.0 using laser correction, you will need special glasses for given. But this is precisely what patients do not agree to. An alternative solution to such an operation could be “progressive vision”. This means that the correction is carried out on one eye - due to it the patient will be able to read, and due to the other eye he will be able to look into the distance. If you have glasses with plus diopters for both distance and reading, then laser correction can help you get rid of glasses for distance, so in everyday, ordinary life you will not need glasses, but for reading and working near you will still have to wear glasses. But at the same time, you will need glasses with much smaller diopters (about half as much). If you are already over 40, and you have low degree of age-related myopia, and you read without glasses, but you need distance glasses, then after the laser correction procedure you will completely get rid of negative glasses.

Treatment of age-related farsightedness

The most common method of correcting presbyopia is glasses. If the patient does not want to wear glasses or there are medical indications, then surgical treatment is performed - an operation to replace the lens with a new artificial one. You can undergo treatment for age-related farsightedness in our laser correction center.

The easiest way to correct this is, of course, reading glasses. There are glasses with progressive lenses. This is a modern option for helping the eyes with this condition. Such glass has a clear advantage - a smooth focus transition between the top and bottom of the lens, allowing clear vision at any distance.
The modern industry also offers multifocal or progressive contact lenses.

Surgical correction of presbyopia is possible.

Multifocal LASIK is a modern method of correcting age-related vision changes. This innovative method involves creating different optical zones in the cornea using an excimer laser.

Replacing the lens with an artificial multifocal lens is a radical way to get rid of presbyopia. If age-related farsightedness is accompanied by cataracts, this method is the optimal solution to the problem. Thus, not only age-related farsightedness is corrected, but also astigmatism and myopia.

You can choose glasses, consult an ophthalmologist and undergo a full examination in our clinic. Do not delay your visit if you notice warning signs of presbyopia and other eye diseases. Delay can cost you dearly - loss of vision.

Konovalov M.E. talks about age-related farsightedness.
in the TV show “Live Healthy.”

Watch the story about farsightedness, risks to vision and methods of correction from the 28th minute of the video.

Optical defect in age-related farsightedness

Farsightedness or hypermetropia is a special optical defect in which a person cannot clearly see objects located both at a distant distance and close to it. This occurs because the optical focus of the eye system is located behind the retina, due to the mismatch between the refractive power of the eye and its length.

In order to correct an existing defect, you need to shift the focus to the retina.

In patients with farsightedness, there is a decrease in the optical power of the eyeball, while the focus of the rays is not in the plane of the retina, but behind it.
Laser correction of farsightedness uses similar techniques as those used to correct myopia, but such operations are performed much less frequently. This is due to the fact that in the case of hypermetropia, the ophthalmologist’s task is not simply to change the shape of the cornea, but also to make it more curved. This is quite difficult compared to the flattening required in cases of myopia.

In this regard, traditional LASIK, used to correct refractive errors, can be used for small degrees of farsightedness. Also, for hypermetropia, other interventions can be performed, in particular, thermal keratoplasty, including conductive keratoplasty. However, all these interventions are potentially dangerous, as they can cause scar formation on the cornea.

Another method of surgical treatment of farsightedness is the implantation of an intraocular lens, and the lens can also replace the patient’s own lens. This technique is mainly used for high degrees of farsightedness. Due to the fact that the artificial lens cannot change its curvature, IOL implantation is ideal in elderly patients. This is due to the fact that the lens itself in elderly patients has lost its ability to accommodate.

Methods of surgical treatment of farsightedness

LASIK

LASIK is an acronym that can be translated from English as laser-assisted keratomileusis. This technique is most often used in laser vision correction. It is usually used to correct myopia, but can also be used to treat astigmatism or hypermetropia.

The effectiveness of LASIK is comparable to the effectiveness of PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). At the same time, in the postoperative period the patient experiences less discomfort, and rehabilitation takes much less time. The effectiveness of LASIK for hypermetropia is highest in cases of mild or moderate refractive error.

PRK and LASEK

Excimer laser photorefractive kertectomy and LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) are also a type of laser modeling of corneal curvature for hypermetropia. During the operation, the upper flap of corneal tissue is not separated from the deeper layers. In this regard, this procedure is more painful, and the recovery period is longer compared to LASIK.

With LASEK, the cornea is softened with an alcohol solution, and then a laser is applied, changing the curvature of the lens. After this procedure, the surface layer of the cornea is replaced. Both LASEK and PRK are used for mild to moderate hyperopia.

FemtoLASIK

Laser correction for farsightedness using a femtosecond laser (FemtoLASIK) is distinguished by the fact that the corneal flap is formed not “manually” by a refractive surgeon using a microkeratome, but with a laser beam. It is believed that this increases the accuracy of manipulations and leads to better surgical results.

SuperLASIK and SuperFemtoLASIK

These techniques are a variation of the above LASIK and FemtoLASIK technologies, but with a higher level of personalization of calculations (for this, in the preoperative period, in addition to keratotopogram and pachymetry, additional research methods are carried out that allow achieving the highest possible visual acuity in the patient).

Thermal keratoplasty

In thermal keratoplasty, the shape of the cornea is changed by shrinking the collagen fibers by applying heat to them. Thermal keratoplasty can be performed in two ways: laser thermokeratoplasty, which is a non-contact method, and conductive keratoplasty, which is a contact type. With thermal keratoplasty, there is a fairly high risk of developing postoperative astigmatism. This method is not widely used and is provided as information for general information.

Intraocular lenses (IOLs)

The use of an artificial lens is indicated in cases of severe refractive error due to farsightedness in the presence of cataracts. In this case, the lens of the eye is removed from the eyeball. This technique is effective for correcting farsightedness, but after this the eye, with a few exceptions, is not able to maintain the function of accommodation. In addition, in the postoperative period there is a risk of developing retinal detachment. Therefore, this method is used mainly in elderly patients who have medical indications for lens replacement.

In most cases, patients with hypermetropia do not require any additional treatment. In this case, correction of the disease directly depends on the degree of refractive error. The symptoms of hypermetropia and the degree of adaptation of the eye to this condition are also taken into account.

Choosing a vision correction method for hypermetropia

Typically, the choice of treatment method is determined taking into account the following factors:

1. Impact on work. In particular, people whose profession involves high risk (pilots, astronauts) are not allowed to perform certain types of operations.
2. When playing certain sports that may cause severe head concussion (boxing, wrestling, football, etc.), certain types of farsightedness surgeries are also not recommended.
3. Some systemic diseases can affect the outcome of treatment. In particular, patients who suffer from immunodeficiency conditions are much more likely to experience complications after surgery. Also at risk are pregnant women, people with diabetes, patients taking steroid hormones and some others.
4. A number of pathological changes in the eye itself also affect the choice of the type of operation. In patients with keratoconus, herpes infection, glaucoma, inflammatory pathology, as well as in people who have already undergone ophthalmological surgery, the use of laser techniques is limited.

Video of laser vision correction for farsightedness

Cost of laser surgeries in Moscow clinics

The price for laser vision correction for hyperopia in Moscow ophthalmology centers depends on the chosen surgical technique (PRK, LASIK, SuperLASIK, FemtoLASIK), the presence of accompanying astigmatism, the pricing policy of the medical institution and the identity of the refractive surgeon (as a rule, the operation is performed by well-known ophthalmologists - heads of clinics, costs more). Below we present the average prices in eye clinics in Moscow (the price is for 1 eye). More detailed information is provided in the "PRICES" section.

PRK - 25 000 rub.
LASIK - 25 000 rub.
SuperLASIK - 40 000 rub.
FemtoLASIK 50 000 rub.
FemtoSuperLASIK 60 000 rub.

Farsightedness is one of the causes of low vision. But unlike myopia, it is not objects that are far away that are poorly visible, but those that are nearby. A farsighted person sees well in the distance. All this is due to the loss of the eye's ability to focus on objects located nearby. As a result, the image is projected not on the retina, but behind it: therefore, it appears blurry. One of the most effective treatment methods is laser correction of farsightedness. Let's find out what it is and who it's suitable for.

There are three types of farsightedness:

Physiological. It happens to all newborns. Farsightedness at this age is due to the anatomy of the child's eye. It is slightly flattened on the front and back, so the image is built behind the retina, and children at an early age have trouble seeing objects up close. This form of farsightedness goes away on its own by the age of 6-10 years, and vision becomes normal.

Pathological or hypermetropia. This is a visual impairment that usually develops in children, but is much less common compared to myopia. This form of the disease cannot go away on its own, so vision requires correction.

Senile or presbyopia. This is a type of farsightedness that develops in all people, usually after 40 years of age. Presbyopia cannot be avoided, because it is associated with age-related changes that occur in the body. This type of vision can be corrected.

Hypermetropia can be congenital or acquired. Congenital forms of farsightedness are usually caused either by a hereditary factor or abnormalities in the structure of the eyeball. Congenital changes usually affect the lens or cornea of the eye. Acquired forms of hypermetropia develop in premature babies, in children with developmental delays, and also as complications after certain infections.

Symptoms and diagnosis

In children, hypermetropia is usually detected in the first years of schooling. This is due to the fact that it is during this period that the child begins to read and write, which is difficult for him: after all, he sees poorly up close. Farsightedness can be suspected for the following reasons:

Increased fatigue;
Poor perseverance;
Failure in school;
Absent-mindedness;
Reluctance to read and write.

Of course, the child may simply not want to study, but it is better to make sure that everything is in order with his vision. To do this, you need to contact an ophthalmologist or ophthalmologist. The doctor will check your vision using the Sivtsev or Orlova table and diagnose “hypermetropia,” which can have three degrees:

Weak (up to 2 diopters);
Medium (from 2 to 5 diopters);
Strong (more than 5 diopters).

To accurately diagnose and identify the causes of farsightedness, other diagnostic methods may be required:

Tonometry (measurement of intraocular pressure);
Ophthalmoscopy (study of the condition of the fundus);
Skiascopy (examination of eye refraction);
Perimetry (determining the width of the field of view);
Gonioscopy (study of the condition of the anterior membranes of the eye);
Computer refractometry (refraction study);
Hardware research methods (CTG or ultrasound of the eye).

In adults, the first symptoms of farsightedness are associated with increased eye fatigue. Within just a few minutes of sitting at the computer or reading a book, your eyes become tired. If you do not take action, the next step will be deterioration of near vision. Typically, vision deteriorates by 1 diopter every 10 years. But for some people the rate of vision loss may be higher, sometimes lower. If farsightedness is not treated, myopia develops. Then a person sees equally poorly both near and far.

Laser correction

Correction of farsightedness with laser-based surgery is suitable for correcting eye refraction only in cases of hyperopia and presbyopia. But there are contraindications:

Visual impairment of more than 6 diopters (the operation will not give a noticeable result);
Pregnancy and lactation period;
Dystrophy of corneal tissue;
Diabetes mellitus;
Infectious general and inflammatory eye diseases (contraindication applies until the disease is cured).

Attention! Laser correction of farsightedness is not performed on persons under 18 years of age. Patients over 60 years of age rarely undergo surgery. This is due to the fact that in old age, vision suffers to a greater extent not from farsightedness, but from cataracts. In this case, a complete replacement of the lens is required, and along with its replacement, farsightedness is corrected.

Laser vision correction technologies

Laser vision correction for farsightedness can be performed using three methods:

Femto-Lasik;
Lasik;
PRK (Lasek).

Let's look at the table to see how these vision correction technologies differ.

Peculiarities	Femto-Lasik	Lasik	PRK (Lasek)
Indications for surgery		Farsightedness up to 6 diopters.	Farsightedness up to 3 diopters.
Is it possible to perform correction on patients with thin corneas?	Yes.	No.	Yes.
Is there any pain?	Almost none.	Almost none.	Yes.
Formation of a corneal flap	Only with the help of a laser.	Additionally, a small knife is used - a microkeratome, which allows you to make very precise sections of the cornea.	No.
How long does it take for vision to recover?	Up to 2 days.	Up to 2 days.	Up to 5 days.

Important! Only the doctor decides which operation to choose for farsighted patients, depending on the patient’s condition, as well as the degree of development of hypermetropia or presbyopia. If it is impossible to correct vision using a laser, the ophthalmologist may suggest replacing the lens with an intraocular lens (for example, with farsightedness of more than 6 diopters or with severe corneal dystrophy).

Patients who have undergone laser vision correction are given the following recommendations:

The eyes should not be touched for three days after the operation (they should not be washed either);
You cannot take baths, swim in pools and open reservoirs, or visit baths and saunas;
Avoid letting bright light into your eyes, much less the sun. Therefore, it is advisable to protect yourself with sunglasses (even on a cloudy day);
You cannot do hard physical work: physical exercise, even light exercise, is excluded;
Do not use cosmetics or skin care products around the eyes;
You cannot take medications on your own (only as prescribed by a doctor);
You must not drink alcohol or smoke, or be in smoky places;
Do not put strain on your eyes (read, watch TV, sit at the computer).

Important! Doctors strongly discourage women from planning pregnancy within 6 months after laser vision correction. This may reduce the effectiveness of the surgery.

After surgery, the ophthalmologist usually prescribes eye drops. They have regenerating and antibacterial effects. Their use should not be neglected. This is necessary for the speedy restoration of the cornea and the prevention of infectious complications.

Advantages

Laser surgery to restore vision to farsighted people has many advantages. Among them:

Speed of execution. All doctor’s manipulations last 10-20 minutes.
Safety. The risk of damage to the deep tissues of the eye is eliminated, since laser correction is performed using high-precision equipment that regulates the depth of exposure with an accuracy of 10 microns.
No pain. From the table above we can conclude that laser correction using the PRK method is carried out with noticeable pain for the patient. But this is not true, because for any type of exposure, anesthetic eye drops are used. They completely eliminate pain during surgery.
No stitches needed. When micro-impacting the cornea, sutures are not required.
No need to stay in the hospital. The operation is performed on an outpatient basis. The patient comes for the procedure and immediately goes home after it.
High efficiency. The new shape of the cornea lasts almost a lifetime. Therefore, further deterioration of vision can only be associated with age-related cataracts, and not with farsightedness.
Fast recovery period. The patient already notices improvement in vision 2 hours after the operation. After 2-5 days, visual ability improves almost to its maximum. The recovery period is completely completed a month after laser correction.

Another important advantage of laser correction of farsightedness is the low risk of complications. It is no more than 1%.

Laser vision correction for farsightedness is a quick way to restore visual ability. The operation has almost no contraindications, and patients after surgery notice an improvement in the first days. After laser correction, they no longer need to wear contact lenses and glasses. Quick recovery and an almost 100 percent guarantee of no complications make this type of treatment for farsightedness the most effective.

If a person has any disturbances in visual function, then the optical power of the eyes changes, as well as their accommodative ability. This means that in the initial stages of the development of farsightedness, the body fights the disease and includes additional reserves in the form of increasing the refractive power of the lens. However, the gradual deterioration of vision makes itself felt and even the compensatory capabilities of the body are no longer enough to ensure that the focus of light refraction is on the retina and the surrounding world does not become increasingly blurry with the onset of a new day. Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor in time in order to eradicate the sources of inflammatory processes and undergo surgery.

Indications for surgery for farsightedness

Before the operation, a person must undergo an examination by an ophthalmologist, an ENT doctor, and also a therapist. Based on the development of the disease, the ophthalmologist draws up an eye map and prescribes additional examinations in the form of tests (blood, urine, for the presence of viruses and infections). He will tell you about zero glasses for image.

Surgical intervention is an effective method of vision correction.

The operation is carried out as follows:

The man lies down on the couch and is given sedatives.
An eyelid holder is inserted into the eyelid.
The surgeon, using a diamond knife and other instruments, corrects the surface layer of the cornea under a microscope.
Potent drops are instilled into the person.

Types of surgical elimination of the disease - surgical treatment

Patients who have a chronic disease, people for whom the use of drops, ointments and tablets will be useless, are prescribed surgical elimination of farsightedness. He will tell you about anti-glare glasses for drivers.

Implantation of phakic lenses into the eyes

The use of phakic lenses is a real salvation for those people who have a high degree of hypermetropia. Surgical intervention is also possible for astigmatism and myopia.

In order for the image to focus on the retina of the eye, and thus save a person from myomia (myopia) and hyperopia (farsightedness), it is necessary to implant positive or negative lenses, depending on the type of disease.

There are several types of implantable contact lenses:

CIBA;

STAAR;

Vision.

The use of these models allows you to improve the optical power of the eyes. Phakic contact lenses are placed in front of the lens behind the iris. Such models are posterior chamber.

Thanks to the self-sealing micro-access (its size is 1.6 mm), there is no need for stitches. The operation does not last long, on average 10–15 minutes, and hospitalization is not required. An ophthalmologist can prescribe drip anesthesia (does no harm, does not create stress on the heart, and is well tolerated by people of all ages). This operation is often called “one-day surgery”, since after a short procedure a person can do his usual activities on the same day. Find out how to distinguish farsightedness from nearsightedness.

The doctor will not allow a person to undergo surgery if the patient has complications such as cataracts, corneal opacity, glaucoma, as well as in cases where the person has already had similar operations on the retina.

Radial keratotomy

Anterior dosed radical keratotomy is the first external method of microsurgical vision correction. Previously, it was widely used, but in the course of scientific and technological progress, radical keratotomy has lost its original meaning.
Patients with 1st and 2nd degree myopic refraction, as well as people with astigmatism and abnormalities in the structure of the cornea, can correct their vision using radical keratotomy. Find out how to choose the right glasses for farsightedness.

Contraindications: persons under 18 years of age cannot perform the operation. Also, people with malignant formations in the eye, infections and inflammation of the intraorbital location, as well as those patients with dermatitis (since there is a possibility of secondary infection) are not allowed to undergo surgical intervention.

The operation is carried out as follows: the surgeon makes marks on the pupil, then, using a diamond knife, non-through microsections are made in the designated areas.
Intraocular pressure reduces the refractive power of the cornea, causing it to become flatter. The depth and number of incisions are determined after individual diagnostics for each patient.

The surgery is painless and is carried out using eye drops. The duration of the operation is from 2 to 5 minutes. No hospitalization required.

Keratoplasty operation

If the cornea of the eye has undergone any trauma, disease, defects or deformation, and its function and shape gradually loses strength, then the ophthalmologist will prescribe surgery in the form of keratoplasty.

The operation is carried out by introducing material to replace the cornea. Using a microsurgical instrument, the flap is placed on the eye shell and sutured. After this, a special protective lens is applied to the cornea.

Corneal transplantation using keratoplasty is the best solution in case of eye damage.

The donor graft replaces portions of the cornea of the eye. The depth of foreign body penetration depends on the degree of damage to the cornea of the eye, so a dorograft can be placed on the deep and superficial layers of the cornea.

The material that replaces the cornea takes root well. This means that cloudiness should not occur after operations.

The main tasks that keratoplasty solves are:

improve the appearance of the cornea, reconstruct its congenital or acquired deformations and defects;

restore damaged cornea, stop progressive diseases;

improve the transparency of the cornea, which improves visual acuity.

There are two types of keratoplasty: according to the layers of the cornea that need to be replaced (anterior, posterior layer-by-layer, through); according to the size of the areas of the cornea to be replaced (subtotal, local, total).

The duration of the rehabilitation period after surgery ranges from 3 to 12 months. During this period, the stitches are removed. Physical stress on the operated eye is not allowed.

Keratoplasty cannot be performed if a person has any inflammatory diseases in the eyeball, obstruction in the lacrimal canal, diabetes mellitus, hemophilia (the body will reject the transplant), and also if the patient’s eye pressure is increased.

Cardiovascular diseases are a serious obstacle to surgery, so surgical interventions are carried out with extreme caution.

Is it possible to replace the lens (lensectomy) with a laser?

The peculiarity of this surgical intervention is that the natural (natural) human lens is subject to removal, and in its place an optical lens with the required number of diopters is introduced.

Lansectomy is used to treat high degrees of farsightedness.

The following diseases may be indications for lanceectomy:

myomia (from 20 D);

contraindications to laser vision correction;

the refractive ability of the lens is lost;

prespiobia (hypermetropia in old age).

An ophthalmologist may not prescribe a lens replacement if a person:

have retinal diseases;

the presence of a recent heart attack or stroke;

inflammatory processes on the membrane of the eye.

When replacing a lens, patients can choose different lenses, but the most popular ones are: a regular yellow lens (does not allow age-related diseases to develop); multifocal lens (increases visual acuity, over time makes it possible to abandon glasses); an aspherical lens with a yellow filter (visual acuity increases, there is protection from ultraviolet rays).

The operation lasts on average half an hour under general anesthesia. Next, phacoemulsification occurs (the eyes are opened with an eyelid speculum, a small incision is made, a solution is injected to remove the natural lens; then an artificial lens is installed - a lens with the necessary optical power).

Recovery period and results of the intervention

After any operation, a further course of treatment is required to help improve visual acuity.

After phakic lens implantation

Implantation of a phakic lens in surgery is the only completely reversible operation, since the lens can be removed from the eye at any time. Implantation of phakic intraocular lenses does not require hospitalization, this is a “day 1” operation. After the operation, the doctor may prescribe. The operation improves the optical power of the eyes.

You can remove lenses from your eyes after surgery only with your doctor’s permission.

After radial keratotomy

After the operation, the doctor prescribes antibacterial therapy, so the person must take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 4–5 days. You can find out whether the operation was effective using visometry and computer refractometry.

After radical keratotomy, in some cases, reverse astigmatism develops, and the refractive ability of the eyeballs also gradually decreases. Visual acuity after surgery improves significantly.

After keratoplasty

The sutures on the eye may come apart, so the recovery period after keratoplasty lasts from 3 to 12 months. It is necessary to be observed by a specialist for a year until complete healing.

After lanceectomy

The recovery period after surgery lasts no more than a month, but if there are complications, the duration of treatment may increase. The result of replacing the lens is that a person can clearly see objects located at close and far distances.

Possible complications

Let's consider the key types of postoperative complications for each of the procedures described above:

Implantation of phakic lenses. The operation is safe, its results are reversible and predictable. The most common complications may be inaccuracies in the calculation of lens power, as well as decentralization of the optical zone.

Radial keratotomy. Due to the fact that the density of corneal endothelial cells decreases after surgery, its depletion occurs. Other complications in the postoperative period are also possible: the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cornea, as well as traumatic rupture of the keratotomy scar.

Keratoplasty. Complications after keratoplasty are divided into 2 types: early (capillary hypertrophy, delayed epithelization, uveivitis, intraocular pressure, iris prolapse) and late (retrocorneal membrane, cysts and glaucoma, rejection of the graft by the body).

Lansectomy. After lanceectomy, secondary cataracts, cystic macular edema, corneal edema, increased intraocular pressure, astigmatism, and displacement of the artificial lens may occur.

Video

This video will tell you about how vision correction occurs through surgery.

Conclusion

If you detect any disturbances in the visual function of the body, you should immediately consult a doctor, since timely treatment will help to avoid serious problems in the future, as well as correct vision using farsightedness, and make sure that it does not fall.

For farsightedness, the following types of operations can be performed: implantation of phakic lenses, radial keratotomy, keratoplasty, lanceectomy.

Each procedure has its own contraindications and requires preliminary tests and analyses.