OPHTHALMOLOGY DOCTOR’S REFRACTIVE SURGERY JOURNEY AT JAPAN INTERNATIONAL EYE HOSPITAL

21/02/2023

Many people think that eye doctors usually don't do nearsightedness surgery because they know it's not good, is this really true? In the article below, let's follow the journey of nearsightedness surgery of Dr. Pham Tue Lien - Ophthalmologist at Japan International Eye Hospital. And listen to the experience of close-up surgery from the perspective of a person who is both a patient and an eye doctor to answer the above question.

Is the opinion that doctors often do not have refractive surgery correct or not?

To be able to perform myopia surgery methods, the patient's eyes will have to meet the following criteria:

  • 18 years old or older.
  • Refraction is stable for at least 6 months.
  • Normal corneal structure.
  • No acute or chronic eye diseases.
  • Not during pregnancy or 6 months postpartum.
  • Intraocular pressure in permissible conditions.
  • The eye condition is suitable for the requirements of each surgical method, for example, corneal thickness if laser surgery is performed, depth/width of anterior chamber if Phakic surgery is performed.

Some people may not meet the criteria for surgery, cannot afford the cost of surgery, or simply feel comfortable wearing glasses, so they still accept regular glasses. instead of surgery, including doctors.

In fact, there are a lot of eye doctors who have operated on myopia and no longer wear glasses, so many people do not even know they have had nearsightedness and nearsightedness surgery. Therefore, the idea that "ophthalmologists often do not operate nearsightedness because it is not good" is incorrect.

The reason the doctor decided to have refractive surgery

Just like anyone that has nearsightedness, Dr. Lien always encounters many annoying problems caused by glasses. For example, driving in the rain, applying eye makeup, doing sports and going out with friends, especially the entanglement of glasses when using mechanical equipment during work.

“I found the glasses quite annoying, uncomfortable, and my eyes meet the criteria for surgery, so I decided to have surgery right away!” - Dr. Tue Lien said.

eye-check
The pair of glasses that get entangled when using a machine is one of the reasons why Dr. Lien decided to have nearsightedness surgery

The doctor's surgery experience

Dr. Lien chooses the most modern laser surgery method - ReLEx SMILE with outstanding advantages such as:

Limiting common symptoms after traditional lasik surgery

  • Unlike the mechanism of creating corneal flaps in previous generation Lasik methods such as SBK Lasik or Femtosecond Lasik, ReLEx SMILE has minimal impact on the uppermost corneal epithelial layer of the eye. As a result, the corneal nerves are less displaced, the lacrimal gland stimulation, corneal sensitivity and tear film are quickly restored.
  • ReLEx SMILE removes the parenchyma in the deeper corneal layer with fewer nerves, reducing the risk of postoperative dry eye syndrome.
  • In addition, the mechanism of not creating flaps, not flipping the corneal flap helps to avoid the risks of flap complications such as flap deviation after surgery, leaving no feeling of clumsy, entangled or bright like previous generations of surgery.

Quick recovery

  • Relex Smile surgery time is 23s laser for each eye, time for each surgery is only about 15 minutes.
  • The small 2 mm incision on the edge of the cornea does not require stitches to reduce the risk of infection, and the patient recovers quickly after surgery.
  • Patients are discharged the same day and can return to work and study after 24 hours.

Postoperative visual acuity is stable

  • Successfully overcome complications of previous Lasik surgery. For ReLEx SMILE, when the laser affects the cornea, it does not depend on the environment around the operating room (temperature, humidity), regardless of the severity of myopia (time of laser impact for the patient).
  • Surgical results are more accurate, more stable, and the possibility of recurrence is very low. The quality of vision after surgery ReLEx SMILE is long-term stable and better due to lower postoperative aberration than traditional Lasik.
eye-surgery
Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each surgical method, Dr. Lien decided to choose ReLEx SMILE method

“My surgery took place quite quickly and gently, in just 10-15 minutes. During the surgery I did not feel any pain, swelling or discomfort. However, after the surgery, my eyes were a bit puffy and cleared up quickly after a few hours, just like what I advised the patient." - Dr. Lien shared.

👉 Learn more about ReLEx SMILE at: https://jieh.vn/en/services/relex-smile-surgery

👉 Register for free intensive eye exam before surgery (Wednesday & Saturday): https://jieh.vn/en/make-an-appointment

Doctor's life after surgery

Dr. Lien is completely satisfied with her decision to have myopia surgery: “After 1 month of surgery, my visual acuity in both eyes reached 10/10. When using machines for medical examinations, I feel more convenient. I can comfortably wear eye makeup and move in the rain, no longer having rain water on my glasses. Who says doctors don't do near-sightedness? I have experienced it and am completely satisfied with my decision.”

Thus, the surgery or not surgery depends a lot on whether the eye is eligible for surgery or not. Even as eye doctors, they must also meet these criteria in order to perform surgery.

👉 Visit your eye doctor today to be checked and evaluated on the right surgical method: https://jieh.vn/en/services/refractive-surgery