Expert warns about the risks of LASIK eye surgery as female writer turns to Moorfields for help after LASIK surgery done in another hospital left her partially blind

[:en]25 April 2017 (Dubai – United Arab Emirates): LASIK is a quick and safe procedure to correct vision, improve eyesight and can remove the need to wear glasses. Although very rare, there can be complications, warns an expert at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai. The hospital has just treated a partially blind patient from Saudi Arabia for complications relating to a LASIK surgery undertaken 10 years ago that was compounded by unsuccessful corrective surgery at another hospital. The patient was finally treated at Moorfields recently and had 20/20 vision, the day after appropriate corrective surgery.
Patient Sarah Matar from Saudi Arabia had LASIK surgery in 2007 to correct her short-sightedness, but her vision began to deteriorate, so she had another LASIK enhancement surgery in 2017, in a GCC hospital. Her second surgery was not successful and left her with serious complications in both eyes, with cells growing under her LASIK flap, blurring her vision. Her eyesight continued to deteriorate until she was unable to see clearly and was in some pain. She consulted a number of eye doctors who recommended surgery as soon as possible to restore her vision and prevent further damage to the cornea. During this time, Sarah suffered both physically and emotionally, and, as a writer, found it difficult to work. She was also anxious about further treatment and the risk of losing her vision.
Dr. Osama Giledi, Consultant Ophthalmologist and a Specialist in Cornea and Refractive Vision Correction Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, examined and treated Sarah: “Sarah was partially blind, with an advanced and wide epithelium ingrowth under the LASIK flap in both eyes. We performed a surgery to restore and correct her vision by removing the abnormal cellular growth, smoothing the flap and repositioning it, through a new and advanced technique which uses a special glue to prevent recurrence of the ingrowth. The surgery was successful with perfect vision in both eyes the next day; we are delighted that Sarah has her vision back and is able to live normally and write again.”
LASIK is a quick, safe, painless and effective surgical procedure to correct vision and is one of the most common operations performed. It is used to treat patients with near sightedness, far sightedness and astigmatism, by reshaping the cornea. ‘Lasik’ (or ‘Laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis’) has become routine. With the latest laser vision correction technology now available in the UAE, people have more choices in deciding how best to correct their specific vision problems whilst improving their overall vision.
Dr. Osama, who has performed more than 23,000 laser eye correction surgeries, recommends laser corrective eye surgery (LASIK), but advises prospective patients to choose the best correction procedure, and clearly understand the potential results, limitations – and risks – of surgery.
“Patients should only do this surgery once, ideally. All laser vision correction surgeries work by reshaping the cornea but not all results are the same, and patients should ensure that they have the surgery at a specialist eye hospital with the latest and safest equipment, and it is performed by an experienced corneal surgeon, to achieve their desired results,” adds Dr Osama.
Laser Refractive surgery refers to a group of procedures such as LASEK, TransPRK and IntraLase LASIK.IntraLase LASIK, for example, is a highly advanced technique using femtosecond laser to create the Lasik flap, and it has been used to treat NASA astronauts, because of its safety and precision.