Which Laser Specs Removal Surgery Is Best?
For most people, wearing contacts and glasses can be very inconvenient, and it can also have a negative impact on their active lifestyles. Many people are opting for a rather permanent solution like Laser vision correction surgeries.
Those who have chosen laser eye surgery find themselves weighing the three most popular options available: Contoura Vision, SMILE and Bladeless LASIK.
All three surgeries are trusted, safe, and effective ways to correct your vision. But which procedure is best?
Let’s find out by comparing every significant aspect of a laser vision correction procedure.
| Contoura Vision | Bladeless-LASIK | SMILE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of Vision | ✓ (Supervision) | – | – |
| Safety | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Painless | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Post Surgery Dryness | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tissue Saving & Corneal Strength | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Recovery | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Re-treatment | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Range of Correction | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Eye Movement Tracking | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Visual Axis Treatment | ✓ | – | – |
| Corneal Irregularities Correction | ✓ | – | – |
| WOW Effect | ✓ | ✓ | – |
QUALITY OF VISION
Various case studies have been conducted to compare visual outcomes, safety and efficacy of Contoura Vision and other laser refractive procedures SMILE & Blade-less LASIK. Contoura Vision was found superior in all visual performance parameters studied, both subjective and objective. (click here to access the study results)
- Contoura Vision – It provides the sharpest vision possible. Two out of every three patients experience better vision than standard 6/6 visual acuity.
- SMILE– It provides normal vision
- Bladeless LASIK– It provides normal vision
HOW CONTOURA VISION DELIVERS THE SHARPEST VISION POSSIBLE?
The following unique technologies available with Contoura Vision Refractive Suite makes all the difference:
- Computerized Eye Movement Tracking – Contoura vision machine has the fastest eye tracker in the world. The tracker makes sure the laser pulses are delivered with pin point accuracy every time. It tracks the eye movement during the laser delivery ensuring optimal precision. Tracking feature is missing in SMILE machine
- Cyclorotation Compensation – The suite compensates for the cyclorotation of the eye that may occur between the imaging (upright sitting) position of the patient and the treatment (supine) position of the patient. Cyclorotation Compensation feature is missing in SMILE technology.
- Active Centration Control – It ensures the displacement of ablation on the ideal location to maximize the visual outcome. Again SMILE misses out on active centration.
- Visual Axis Treatment – Visual axis is a line passing through the line of sight in the eye hence it is the natural seeing axis in our eye. Contoura Vision treatment is directed towards Visual Axis, providing you much sharper visual outcomes. Bladeless Lasik and SMILE treat on pupillary axis hence miss on supervision effect.
- Corneal Irregularly Correction:During the Contoura Vision procedure, the irregularities of the cornea are smoothed, making optical surface of the eye nearly perfect. This results in clear, sharp vision. Hence this technique goes beyond the standard corrections of eyeglasses. Correction of corneal irregularities is missing in Bladeless LASIK and SMILE.
SAFETY
All the laser procedures in question have been given safety certificates from the highest safety standard in the world – US FDA.
- Contoura Vision-Approved by US FDA
- SMILE – Approved by US FDA
- Bladeless LASIK– Approved by US FDA
PAIN & DISCOMFORT
The laser procedure itself does not hurt. Anaesthetic drops are given to completely numb the eye. Slight pressure may be felt during the procedure. There is a possibility of some degree of discomfort after the procedure for 3 to 4 hours, which is easily controlled by medication.
- Contoura Vision– Painless
- SMILE– Painless
- Bladeless LASIK– Painless
POST SURGERY EYE-DRYNESS
The most common side effect of all laser refractive procedures is Eye-Dryness, with virtually all patients developing some degree of dryness in the immediate postoperative period. It usually relieved by lubricating drops and disappears within 2-3 months. This is an inevitable side effect and all the procedure causes the same level of eye dryness.
- Contoura Vision– Temporary Mild Eye Dryness
- SMILE– Temporary Mild Eye Dryness
- Bladeless LASIK– Temporary Mild Eye Dryness
TISSUE SAVING & CORNEAL STRENGTH
All laser refractive procedure involves reshaping of the corneal surface so that your cornea can serve the need of your glasses and contact lenses. Reshaping of cornea is achieved by removing some amount of corneal tissue with a laser.
- Contoura Vision– It secures maximum corneal tissue saving possible. It utilizes only 12-15 microns of corneal tissue to correct 1.0 D of spectacle power.
- SMILE– It utilizes 35-45 microns of corneal tissue to correct 1.0 D of spectacle power.
- Bladeless LASIK– It utilizes 12-15 microns of corneal tissue to correct 1.0 D of spectacle power.
RECOVERY
Most patients who have laser refractive surgery are happy about their recovery time. Although you will quickly notice a significant improvement in your vision, recovering from LASIK is an ongoing process. Full recovery varies by patient, and it may take three to six weeks for your vision to fully stabilize.
- Contoura Vision– It has the immediate visual recovery. Patient’s vision starts clearing out within two hours after the surgery. By next day the vision is perfect. This is called WOW effect
- SMILE– It may take 7-10 days to see clearly after the SMILE procedure due to the Lenticule extraction.
- Bladeless LASIK– Fast recovery
RE-TREATMENT
In some rare cases, a slight spectacle power may remain even after surgery or it may develop again during post-surgery healing of the eye. In such cases, the spectacle number can be re-corrected using laser enhancements.
- Contoura Vision– It is very easy to enhance. If the enhancement is performed within the first post-op year, the flap can be lifted without much difficulty and an additional excimer laser can be applied to fine-tune an under-or overcorrection or treat a little induced astigmatism.
- SMILE – With SMILE, re-treatment is very difficult if the primary procedure gets an undesirable result. The refractive surgeon either has to do a surface ablation or try to convert the SMILE to a LASIK.
- Bladeless LASIK – Re-treatment is possible and as effective as Contoura Vision.
RANGE OF CORRECTION
- Contoura Vision– It has been designed to correct almost all types of Refractive Errors – Myopia (Nearsightedness), Hyperopia (Farsightedness) & Astigmatism (Cylindrical Spectacle Prescription) A cylindrical spectacle power up to 5D can be corrected by Contoura Vision which is the record highest by any laser refractive procedure.
- SMILE– It has been declared safe and effective to correct Myopia (Nearsightedness) only. It is not recommended for Hyperopia (Farsightedness) and pure cylindrical power.
- Bladeless LASIK: It has been designed to correct Myopia (Nearsightedness) and Hyperopia (Farsightedness) and cylinder powers
PRECISION
All three procedures in the discussion are the bladeless techniques, there are no blades working on the eye. The whole procedure is done by the use of one or a combination of more lasers. The bladeless technique gives greater precision, a better quality of vision, and more safety.
- Contoura Vision-It works with a combination of lasers (Femto Laser + Excimer Laser + Topolyser) delivering the most precise and accurate results.
- SMILE– It works with Femto laser only
- Bladeless LASIK– It works with a combination of two lasers (Femto laser + Excimer Laser)
COST
Any surgical procedure that you elect can occur only after a careful evaluation of your eye and the type of refractive error that presently obscures your vision. The exact price is determined after a thorough examination of both the eyes and understanding your health history.
The complexity of your refractive error can affect the cost of your surgery, but you may expect to pay in the range given below:
- Contoura Vision – Rs 95,000 to 1,15,000/- for both eyes.
- SMILE – Rs 85,000 to 90,000/- for both eyes.
- Blade-less LASIK – Rs 75,000 to 90,000/- for both eyes.
As we can see, Contoura Vision laser correction costs the most of all laser spectacle removal surgeries. It is, in part, because the technology is the most advanced and requires specialized equipment. However, the cost also includes the expertise and training of the ophthalmologist doing the surgery. Only a few eye specialists in India have the training and experience to do this procedure. Eye7 Chaudhary Eye Centre and AIIMS are the leading centers offering Contoura Vision in Delhi. Elsewhere in India, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad and Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai are also some leading hospitals offering Contoura Vision surgery in India.
