Importance of Corneal Thickness in Laser Eye Surgery

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Importance of Corneal Thickness in Laser Eye
Surgery
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Why is Corneal Thickness Important?
During the Lasik surgery, a flap in the cornea is
created to reshape the cornea. This is done to
correct the refractive errors of the eye such as
Nearsightedness, Farsightedness and Astigmatism.
The majority of surgeons use a flap with a
thickness of approximately 160 microns. According
to experts, a good LASIK candidate will have a
450-550 microns thick cornea. Its important
that your cornea is thick enough to allow flap
creation. During flap creation, a small amount of
corneal tissue is removed. If there isnt enough
corneal tissue left after making the flap, the
cornea could be too thin causing vision issues
and serious complications. Thin corneas become
too weak after the surgery and Lasik can thus do
more harm than good.
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How to Determine Corneal Thickness?
To determine the thickness of your cornea, a
screening process is done because no individual
can evaluate this himself. Visit a laser eye
centre in Delhi and the surgeon will perform the
Corneal Pachymetry Test during your Lasik
evaluation. This process involves ultrasonic
technology to measure corneal thickness. The
testing gadget is placed against the patient's
eye while the patient maintains a straightforward
gaze and does not blink during the
procedure. For every one diopter of prescription
power, 12 to 14 microns of corneal tissue are
lost, depending on the prescription. You need to
have a minimum of 250 microns of corneal tissue
remaining after the procedure to be eligible for
LASIK surgery.
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Pachymetry Test being done to determine corneal
thickness of the eye
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Alternative Surgery Options for Patients with
Thin Corneas
If you have been through the Pachymetry Test and
found that your corneas are too thin, you will
not be eligible for Lasik Eye Surgery. But this
does not mean that you cannot get rid of
spectacles or contact lenses. There are other
surgery options available for patients with thin
corneas such as 1. PRK Eye Surgery- This surgery
does not involve the creation of corneal flap
making it suitable for people with thin
corneas 2. ICL- This procedure involves
implanting thin lens over the natural lens of the
eye thereby correcting vision without having the
need for thick corneas. 3. RLE- Refractive Lens
Exchange or RLE is a treatment that replaces the
natural lens of the eye with the artificial lens.