Weak eye sight or defects in vision are most commonly attributed to refractive errors which have an estimated global prevalence ranging from 800 million to 2.3 billion. The sheer magnitude of this problem which affects almost every household has been the subject of intensive research and in the past few years we have come up with solutions for every type of problem including those which were considered untreatable earlier.
Basically a refractive error is a condition where the eye is unable to focus properly and the vision does not appear clear for near or distance or both. This occurs due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors but certain eye diseases such as keratoconus or trauma to the eye may also be responsible.
The three main types of refractive error are myopia or near sightedness where distant objects are blurred but near objects are seen clearly, hypermetropia or far sightedness where near objects appear fuzzy while distance vision is good and astigmatism where objects appear uneven or irregular. Presbyopia is an age-related loss of the focusing ability of the eye for near vision and is usually seen after the age of 40 years said Dr Mahipal Singh Sachdev Chairman Centre for Sight.
Cutting edge technology and advanced laser treatments combined with smarter lenses are now being used at Centre for Sight to provide complete eye care solutions all under one roof. Customized LASIK is done using an excimer laser to re-shape the corneal surface and correct the refractive error and grant you freedom from glasses and contact lenses. iLASIK, the blade free laser treatment allows you to undergo the entire procedure without a blade coming in contact with your eye. These options have become extremely popular and have provided a stable, accurate and safe visual recovery to millions of people across the world.
For patients with very high errors where laser treatment is not possible, Implantable Contact Lenses or ICLs are extremely useful. These lenses made of a collagen co-polymer are placed inside the eye in a procedure lasting less than 15 minutes.
In patients with eye disorders such as keratoconus where the cornea is weak and the number is unstable, C3R or Collagen Cross Linkage is a treatment modality to make the cornea strong and rigid and prevent the disease from progressing further.
INTACS or intra-stromal ring implants are semi-circular segments made of bio-compatible material. These are placed inside the cornea and help to change the abnormal shape of the eye to improve the focusing power of the eye in patients with keratoconus and other eye disorders.
Some people may benefit from Clear Lens Extraction which may or may not be combined with intra-ocular lens (IOL) implantation to correct their refractive error. A wide range of IOLs are available to meet your specific requirements. Multifocal IOLs provide good focusing ability both for distance and near while Toric IOLs may be recommended for patients who have a cylindrical error.
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