Eye surgery Brisbane
Eye surgery Brisbane
Brisbane based eye surgeon Dr McLintock has expertise in treating cataract, pterygium and corneal disease. He also performs laser surgery for those seeking an alternative to glasses.
HISTORY & EXPERIENCE
Dr McLintock is a Brisbane-based Ophthalmologist (Eye Surgeon) with sub-specialist expertise in Cataract Surgery, Refractive Surgery and Corneal transplantation. He is committed to patient-focused care and providing his patients with international standard, leading-edge treatments available for their eye health. Find out more.
Cataract Surgery & Refractive Surgery
Cataract Surgery
A cataract occurs when the eye’s lens, which is normally clear, become opaque. This lens is located inside the eye behind the pupil where it sits in a lens bag. Cataract causes blurred vision by blocking light as it travels through the eye. It can also change the focal point of the eye, further blurring the vision. Find out more.
REFRACTIVE SURGERY
There are 2 main categories of refractive surgery. The first type is laser refractive surgery such as LASIK or Photorefractive Keratectomy (also known as “surface LASIK”). In laser refractive surgery, a highly precise laser known as an excimer laser is applied to the cornea (the clear focusing window at the front of the eye) to improve the way light is focused by the eye, resulting in improved vision without glasses or contact lenses.
The second main type of refractive surgery is lens-based refractive surgery. In lens-based refractive surgery, the eyes’ natural lens can be removed and replaced with a new artificial lens which improves the focusing ability of the eye. Alternatively, the eye’s natural lens is left in place and a new artificial lens is planted on top of the natural lens to correct the eye’s refractive error. Find out more
WHAT IS BETTER, PRK OR LASIK ?
A recent large review of international literature comparing PRK and LASIK was performed by the Cochrane Library, considered to provide highest quality of scientific evidence. This study showed that there was no significant difference in the final vision and accuracy between LASIK and PRK.
The benefits of LASIK include the fact that the procedure has less pain immediately after surgery and that the vision improves rapidly. The disadvantages of LASIK are that, because a flap of tissue is created in the cornea, the eye will always have some structural weakness. This means that the flap can dislodge if there is future trauma to the eye and there is a small chance the shape of the cornea can become irregular with time (post-LASIK ectasia), both of which can result in deterioration of vision.
The benefits of PRK include the fact that structurally the cornea is stronger as there is no flap created. This means that there is no flap that can be dislodged if there is ever trauma to the eye and that there in essentially no risk of the cornea becoming irregular in the future. The disadvantages include the fact that there is some pain after the operation (that can be controlled with pain-killers) and that the vision takes several days to become clear.
Find out more.