Dr Mantell shares what he hears from patients after their LASIK surgery
Laser vision correction options can be confusing. We’ve made the journey as straightforward as can be
You can truly enjoy life when you escape the limitations of glasses and contacts
Embrace beautiful natural vision
If you’ve worn glasses and contact lenses your whole life, you’ll be familiar with the challenges they bring. Glasses are an inconvenience. You can feel self-conscious and restricted. Contact lenses can be uncomfortable, cause dry eyes and increase your risk of eye infections.
After LASIK laser eye surgery, you’ll have freed yourself from their limits and enjoy life with the beautiful natural vision you deserve.
When frustration turns into freedom
Studies show that transitioning from dependency to freedom can improve your quality of life.
Our patients report feeling more confident, healthy and are more eager to join in on social events and activities.
Your setbacks become successes
Whether you’re into extreme sports, gentle walks or morning talks over coffee, there’s nothing more distracting than your glasses slipping down your nose, fogging-up or falling-off. Contact lenses can be just as bad; they can slip out of place, need constant cleaning and storing, and can cost a small fortune over time!
After LASIK, our patients live worry-free. They no longer have to tolerate the inconvenience of glasses and find they have more energy and drive to devote to their hobbies, careers and the people around them.
Don’t settle for anything less
If poor vision and a life of glasses and contacts are all you know, it can be easy to accept their drawbacks and just carry on.
Don’t!
Not many things are as precious as sight, and the experiences and opportunities that amazing natural vision can give you are priceless. Our patients will tell you that their only regret is that they didn’t do it sooner.
Discover how this treatment gives you visual freedom – free from the restraints of glasses and contacts
You may be suitable for LASIK if you are:
- between 20 to 60 years of age
- have a stable prescription
- short-sightedness, long-sightedness with or without astigmatism
- have adequate corneal thickness and regular corneal topography or shape
Advantages
- LASIK is a 100% bladeless technique
- Uses safe, proven technology
- Painless
- The procedure only takes 15 to 20 minutes
- Vision is improved almost immediately
- Rapid visual recovery
- You can resume most daily activities within 1-2 days, including driving
Disadvantages
- You may need reading glasses in the future
LASIK carries minimal risks. We manage any of the following complications or side-effects, should they arise:
- Dry eye: This is treatable with drops and typically resolves within 4 – 6 weeks.
- Under or overcorrections: We can correct this with further laser enhancement to refine.
- Flap related issues: These are less common, particularly since introducing a femtosecond laser instead of a blade.
- Infection: There is a small risk of infection post-treatment, which we can treat.
If you are unsuitable for LASIK, you can consider:
- SMILE
- Surface PRK
- Implantable contact lens surgery (ICL).
- Glasses or contact lenses
Step 1
We will ask you to lie on the treatment bed, positioned between the two laser machines. We will administer anaesthetic drops to numb the eyes. We cover the fellow eye lightly with a gauze pad. We then place a special device between the eyelids and the eye to prevent blinking and keep the eye in the correct position during this first part of the surgery.
We will ask you to look at a light, which will be above you. You will not feel anything, and there will be no noise or smell. It takes approximately 15 seconds for the laser to create the corneal flap. We then repeat these steps on the second eye.
Step 2
We will then move the bed, positioning it beneath the excimer laser. We will administer more anaesthetic eye drops. We place a small device between the lids to keep them open. The surgeon will then use a special instrument to lift the corneal flap. We then apply an excimer laser to precisely reshape the surface of the eye. This laser will emit some ‘zapping’ sounds, and you may experience an unusual smell. The reshaping will take a few seconds only to correct the refractive error. Once finished, the corneal flap is smooth back into place, and this completes the treatment. We then repeat the process on the fellow eye.
It typically takes 10 minutes per eye to complete the LASIK procedure.
Following LASIK
While you relax after the procedure, the surgeon will check your eyes, apply some more drops and place a transparent shield over each eye. You should leave them in place overnight and can remove them the following day. Once the shields have been applied you will be able to return home, and we advise you to rest for the remainder of the day.
You will need to start using post-operative drops the next day, following the removal of the eye shields. You will be required to attend for a follow-up check the next day.
Patients often have 20/20 vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses.
Discover if you could be free from glasses and contacts
Everyone deserves a life free from glasses and contacts, but not everyone is suitable. The best way to find out if vision correction is right for you is to book a free laser assessment. You’ll get a clear and honest answer on your suitability and treatment options.
Discover if you could be free from glasses and contacts
Everyone deserves a life free from glasses and contacts, but not everyone is suitable. The best way to find out if vision correction is right for you is to book a free laser assessment. You’ll get a clear and honest answer on your suitability and treatment options.
Choose the option below that sounds most like you to discover your best solution
We are proud to be a part of these professional bodies
Get a quick overview of everything you need to know about gaining visual freedom
The Ophthalmologist Power List 2022
The Ophthalmologist Power List 2022 Congratulations to Prof Helen Danesh-Meyer and Prof Charles [...]
What is SMILE eye surgery?
Looking to gain a whole new perspective on life but have questions about SMILE eye surgery? In this blog, Dr. Nick Mantell discusses Smile surgery being minimally invasive, completely pain-free, and swift with the entire process for no more than 15 minutes. Are you ready to see the world unfiltered?
The Ophthalmologist Power List 2021
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Learn more about the world’s most popular eye laser surgery from authoritative sources
The aim of refractive surgery is to reduce a person’s dependence on glasses and contact lenses. This is achieved by treating nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and/or astigmatism. Click here to read more.
Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) is a new paradigm for refractive surgery, and was first performed by Sekundo and Blum in 2008. It uses only a femtosecond laser to carve out a lenticule within the corneal stroma, and then achieves refractive correction by extracting the lenticule through a small incision. A number of studies have shown that SMILE leads to stable and efficacious outcomes, combined with high safety. Click here to read more.
The limit for laser surgery has more to do with the thickness of your cornea. Every time surgery is performed, the cornea becomes thinner. The safe amount that can be removed differs with every eye. Your surgeon should be able to determine this for you. Sometimes if the eye is too thin, it still may be possible to perform PRK (surface ablation). Click here to read more.
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Our industry-leading experts are here to guide you every step of the way
Dr Nick Mantell
MB ChB
Dr Mantell is a specialist in refractive and cataract surgery. He has restored the vision of thousands of people in his 17-year career.
Dr Peter Ring
MBChB
Dr Ring is an expert in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery.
Dr Shanu Subbiah
MBChB MRCOphth FRCOphth
Dr Subbiah is a cataract, corneal and laser surgery specialist.
Dr Adam Watson
MB ChB
Dr Watson specialises in treating many aspects of the eye, including the face, eyelids, tear drainage system and the cornea.
Dr Nick Mantell
MB ChB
Dr Mantell is a specialist in cataract surgery. He has restored the vision of over 8,500 people in a 17-year career.
LEARN MORE
Dr Peter Ring
MB ChB
Dr Ring is an expert in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery.
LEARN MORE
Dr Shanu Subbiah
MBChB MRCOphth FRCOphth
Dr Subbiah is a cataract, corneal and laser surgery specialist.
LEARN MORE
Dr Adam Watson
MB ChB
Dr Watson specialises in treating many aspects of the eye, including the face, eyelids, tear drainage system and the cornea.
LEARN MORE
Get our guide on everything you need to know about laser eye surgery in NZ
We understand that choosing laser eye surgery can be confusing. We’ve made it easy. The information in our New Zealand Guide to Vision Correction quickly gives you everything you need to know (and the right questions to ask), to confidently choose the best vision correction provider for your unique eyes.
