High Prescriptions

Normally traditional Laser Eye Surgery can only correct prescriptions up to a maximum of between -8 and -10. This is because in traditional Laser Eye Surgery, the surgeon cuts a circular flap from the surface of the cornea and removes tissue from the exposed cornea, reshaping it to remove refractive errors.

The higher the refractive error (ie the higher the prescription), the more tissue needs to be removed to correct it – therefore the cornea must be thick enough. Most people simply don’t have thick enough corneas to allow enough reshaping to be done to correct high prescriptions – making them unsuitable for traditional Laser Eye Surgery.

With ReLEx SMILE Laser Eye Surgery treatment at LVCND, people with thin corneas and those with prescriptions higher than -8 can be treated, because we do not make a flap from the corneal surface.

Instead, we remove the tissue from the centre of the cornea through a tiny hole made at the side of the eye, leaving the front of the cornea intact.

Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL)

Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL) is the preferred treatment option for very high prescription not correctable even with ReLEx SMILE Laser. This involves placing a small lens just under the surface, inside the eye, correcting your distance vision. This procedure is recommended for patients who do not need reading glasses now or in the near future and are generally under the age of 40. It is possible to remove these lenses at any time and reverse their effect. With the ICL procedure, we are able to treat patients with prescriptions up to -23d or +12d with +/- 7d of astigmatism. The treatment is also available for patients who are unsuitable for laser treatment due to corneal thickness.

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)

Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) may be a preferable option for those who are over the age of 45 with high prescription. The lens inside the eye is exchanged with an artificial lens of the correct power for good vision. This is the same operation as cataract surgery but performed for the purpose of correcting your sight (refractive error) and not for removing a cataract.