What is refractive surgery?
Refractive surgery (LASIK) is using Laser power to reshape the surface of the cornea to correct the refractive errors after mapping of the front and back surfaces of the cornea to obtain precise data and analyzing that information.

How do I know if I am fit for refractive surgery?
Most people with refractive errors are fit for refractive surgeries except people who have certain corneal diseases which will show by examination or the investigations done before the surgery.

What is the difference between LASER and LASIK?
LASER is the kind of rays used to do the reshaping of the cornea, while LASIK is the name of the surgery.

What is astigmatism and is it treated by LASIK?
Astigmatism is a form of refractive error just like short or long sight (myopia/hyperopia) where the power of light refraction of the cornea is different between the vertical and horizontal lines so that the person can see some lines more clear than others. And like other errors of refraction, it is treated by LASIK.

Will I feel pain after LASIK?
There is more than one way to perform the surgery, it may be done by cutting a flap into the cornea (LASIK) and this will not cause pain afterward and recovery is fast, or it may be done on the surface of the cornea (PRK) which causes some pain after the surgery for a couple of days during which vision will be unclear.

What is the difference between LASIK and FEMTOLASIK?
When LASIK is done, a flap is cut into the cornea using a very precise electric blade, but with FEMTOLASIK a laser beam is used to make that cut making it more precise.

Why is there a difference in cost between LASIK and Femto-LASIK?
The difference in cost is because a separate FemtoLASER machine is used to create the flap as well as the one used for the correction.

Is there a difference in the results between LASIK and Femto-LASIK?
Because of the infinitely precise cut made by the FemtoLASER, the healing of the cornea is faster and the change that happens to the cornea is as little as possible. All the new techniques aim to keep the cornea as healthy as possible.

What if I am not fit for refractive surgery?
This happens rarely in cases of very high myopia or hyperopia and in these cases, other refractive surgeries can be done as implanting a lens inside the eye or it can be due to some corneal disease as keratoconus and others and there is also a treatment for these cases.

What is a cataract?
A cataract is a change that happens to the lens inside the eye to lose its transparency. It usually happens in old age but may also happen earlier in some diseases or when taking certain medications as steroids for a long time.

What would I notice if I had cataract?
There would be an increasingly poor vision which may be noticed more in bright light and sometimes there may be an improvement in the ability to read without reading glasses.

What is the treatment of cataracts?
A cataract is treated by surgery using ultrasound power (Phaco) to remove the cataract and put an artificial lens in its place.

What is cataract surgery that is done without using stitches?
Unlike the old techniques for removal of the cataract, removing it by Phaco or ultrasound power is done through a very small opening which usually doesn’t need any stitches.

How does a patient decide if it is time to have cataract surgery done?
This is according to the needs of the patient, so if the patient drives or needs a good vision for his work, he will notice the poor vision earlier and will need to have the surgery done as soon as possible, sometimes the daily needs of the patient do not demand very strong vision and in this case, the patient will not notice until later. Generally, there is nothing such as too early if the patient has a complaint, but it should not be postponed until the cataract becomes too hard making the surgery more difficult or maybe causing complications.

How long does it take to recover from cataract surgery?
The patient usually leaves the hospital or clinic shortly after the surgery and the eye may be covered for one day after which the patient can lead a normal life.

What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease where the pressure of the eye may be high and causes damage to the nerve of the eye. It may come as a sudden severe rise in the pressure and the patient feels severe pain and nausea and in these cases, emergency treatment is needed. The other type is a long term rise in pressure and in these cases, the patient doesn’t feel anything until there is the advanced loss of eyesight.

How is Glaucoma treated?
Glaucoma is treated first with antiglaucoma eye drops and sometimes the patient needs three or four different medications and may still not be controlled. Some cases need surgery, and there is a new treatment by LASER (SLT).

What is SLT (Selective laser trabeculoplasty)?
SLT is a treatment that uses LASER pointed to the angle of the eye to open the passages for the water inside the eye.
Is SLT an alternative to surgery?
In many cases, SLT works in controlling the pressure so that a patient will not need surgery or at last, postpone it for a few tears and in some cases, the patient may not need to use any eye drops after the treatment.

How does diabetes affect the eye?
Diabetes affects the whole body, and to the eye, it causes damage to the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy) which causes leaking of fluid and protein through these vessels as well as bleeding and shortage of oxygen reaching the retina. This is followed by the production of new blood vessels that are very weak and bleed easily. The problem keeps on progressing unless treated.

What is the treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy?
Treatment is decided according to the severity of the disease, it may be just follow-up or by LASER or injection inside the eye. In very advanced cases, surgery may be needed.

What is retinal LASER?
Retinal LASER is used to close the blood new wind weak vessels to prevent bleeding and to prevent leakage.

What is the difference between MULTI SPOT LASER and normal LASER?
Normal single spot LASER takes a long time to make sometimes more than a thousand spots and needs two or more sessions, while ‘Multi spot LASER’ makes a large number of spots at the same time taking much less time.

What is the effect of the drug injected inside the eye?
The drug injected into the eye for diabetic retinopathy (Lucentis) causes the newly formed blood vessels to disappear, preventing bleeding and it also helps for the leakage to be absorbed.

What is blockage of the tear canals in newborn babies?
Sometimes a baby is born and the tube for drainage of tears has not yet opened in one or both of his eyes and this causes constant tearing and repeated infection.

What is the cure for these cases?
These cases usually need no treatment except for the infections. Massaging the area as instructed by the doctor is usually enough and the condition resolves before the baby is 9 months and if it doesn’t improve it is treated by opening the tubes at the age of 1 year which is effective in most cases.