What are they going to do to me? it depends on our degree of myopia (measured in diopters). 1/ Between – 0.5 and – 3 or – 4 diopters, the surgeon will perform a PKR (Refractive PhotoKeractomy). First, he removes a small skin on the surface of the eye before sculpting the cornea with a laser, the session lasts 30 min per eye.
2/ Between – 3 and – 8 diopters, he will probably prefer LASIK, the most used method:a first laser cuts a "hood" above the eye, then a second treats myopia. The small skin remains in place, but we keep a micro-scar. 3/ Beyond – 9 diopters, he can offer us the placement of ocular implants.
It hurts ? With a PKR, we poke for
2-3 days, until the skin grows back. A dressing lens is placed on the eye and painkillers must be taken. With LASIK, you feel nothing at all. But the eye tears for 3-4 hours, is sensitive to light and we see blurry for a few days. We must therefore take precautions:do not come alone by car, because the return would be dangerous and do not take public transport, because of the risk of infection. Otherwise, the next day, we can work and a week later, make up.
What are we risking? Sometimes inflammation that resolves quickly with antibiotic eye drops. Out of more than 100,000 operations per year, about ten cases of severe inflammation of the cornea and fluctuating vision are reported to insurers.
It's expensive ? It costs €850 for a PKR, and €1,200 per eye with LASIK. Social security does not reimburse anything, but some mutuals take part of the costs.
Thanks to Dr. Rocher, ophthalmic surgeon, head of clinic at Hôtel-Dieu.
