An advanced eye treatment procedure which is “100 per cent blade-free” was launched at the Sankara Eye Centre here on Sunday.
Vision profile
Known as ‘iLASIK,’ it combines a highly accurate measurement technology with two sophisticated computer-guided LASIK lasers, making this procedure one of the safest in the world, according to Sankara Eye Centre.
This procedure involves three steps with the first being creating a ‘vision profile,’ in which a three-dimensional map of the eye, recording even the minute ‘imperfections’ was generated. This enables the surgeon to custom-fit the treatment for each and every patient.
Next, a laser beam, was used to crate a flap on the cornea, which was folded back to perform iLASIK and the final procedure involves the use of another laser beam to correct the vision.
Cost
“This vision correction procedure could be done completely without using a surgical blade. The cost of the machine was around Rs. 4 crore,” said R.V. Ramani, Founder and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Care.
Sujaya Krishnan, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, who inaugurated the facility, said that the National Programme for Control of Blindness launched in 1976 had reduced the prevalence of blindness from 1.4 per cent to 1.1 per cent in the country.
Objective
The objective of this programme, in which more than 3,000 non governmental organisations had enrolled, was to bring the prevalence rate of blindness down to 0.3 per cent by the year 2020.
“Technology has to be leveraged for the benefit of the masses.
A lot of the eye ailments were preventable and focus must be on children,” she added
Speaking earlier, J.K. Reddy, Director of Sankara Eye Care Institutions, informed that this was the only procedure approved by the U.S. space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
It was also used by the U.S. Air Force and had a complication rate of close to zero. Chairman of Sankara Institutions S.V.Balasubramanian spoke.
Free eye camp
According to a press note, Sankara Eye Centre at Sivanandhapuram would be conducting a free eye screening camp from March 10 to 16 to mark the World Glaucoma Week.
