All about Laser Eye Surgery in Belfast

The use of laser in eye surgery is an advancement that has enabled efficient correction of the most common eye disorders; myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness) and astigmatism. Eye surgery in Belfast has not been left behind the global developments with techniques utilizing laser adoption in various clinics and gaining popularity over traditional eyesight defect correction methods such as contact lenses and eyeglasses. It provides a convenient and effective alternative to wearing glasses and contact lenses for a good number of people. The long-term savings on costs, ease of access, quality of eye treatment services, and its demonstrated safety and efficacy are some of the factors driving majority of the people towards laser eye surgery in Belfast.

Like in other places around the world, laser eye surgery in Belfast is performed at specialist clinics which have qualified and experienced ophthalmic surgeons. The procedure basically involves permanently altering the shape of the cornea (the transparent covering before the iris) to correct eye disorders occurring as a result of longer eyeballs (for myopia) or shorter eyeballs (for hyperopia). In both cases, light rays fail to be focused on the retina of the eye, a condition that can be checked through changing the shape of the cornea. Laser eye treatment involves pre-operative consultation, actual surgery using a laser beam and post operative care. There are different types of laser eye treatment depending on the technology; LASIK, LASEK, Intralase and Wavefront LASIK techniques.

The laser eye surgery cost in Belfast is dependent on a number of factors including the choice of clinic/eye surgeon, the type and quality of equipment, the prescription and the specific procedure that is performed (LASIK, LASEK and Intralase LASIK procedures). Free consultation is offered in most eye clinics in Belfast. Depending on the clinic, charges can start from as little as £250 up to £1000 for LASIK, and as little as £495 up to £1500 for Intralase per eye. The cost of this type of eye surgery in Belfast may seem prohibitive to many but when compared to the cumulative cost of glasses or contact lenses over a lifetime it is much reasonable. Clinics that offer laser treatment include Optilase clinic in Belfast, Optimax, Advanced Laser Eye Clinic and Ultralase clinic.

Some of the major concerns raised by people with regards to laser eye surgery in Belfast mainly involve safety and efficacy. Appropriately selected patients can achieve 100% driving status and above 20/20 vision in about 95% of the patients in three months. It is a painless procedure that is done within an hour, and the eyes do not look different afterwards. The results are permanent with changes in vision following normal patterns. It is however not done on individuals with a squint eye, although some cases may be addressed. Some of the complications may include developing a dry-eye, halo effect and regression. These complications are usually temporary.

In conclusion, laser technology has been adopted in eye surgery in Belfast, with many people opting for it over eye-glasses and contact lenses. It uses laser to change the shape of the cornea in order to correct disorders of the eye including myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Laser eye surgery cost in Belfast is dependent on several factors including technique (whether LASIK, LASEK or Intralase) and choice of clinic/surgeon with costs ranging from £295-£1000 for LASIK and £495-£1500 for variant techniques such as Intralase. Some of the clinics offering laser eye surgery in Belfast include Optilase, Optimax, and Ultralase clinic. The technique has been found to be safe and effective in properly selected patients with satisfying results in most cases. The complications developed are mainly temporary.

Mark Shortt is the author of this article on Optilase clinic Belfast. Find more information, about eye surgery Belfast here