AIIMS introduces laser procedure for eye surgery

Taking a leap forward, the All India institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has replaced blade with laser for its eye surgeries.

Taking a leap forward, the All India institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has replaced blade with laser for its eye surgeries.

HT Image

The Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at AIIMS has already performed about 30 corneal transplants using an advanced all-laser procedure at one-third the market price. The use of the technique cost a flat Rs 21,000.

The use of femtosecond laser machine, which was inaugurated at the eye centre a couple of months ago, means more surgical precision and better outcome in terms of quality of vision. "We are using the technique to transplant cornea and correct refractive errors in people. Laser has a definite advantage in terms of accuracy," said Dr. Rajvardhan Azad, chief RP Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The technique also results in decreased long-term problems such as regression of correction and dry eyes. The cornea is stronger as it has not been cut by blade, which also means fewer abrasions.

The eye centre does about 700 transplants in a year when the demand is that of at least 2000 transplants in a year. Nearly 300 people undergo refractive surgery to correct vision in a year.

So, the wait period for these surgeries is quite long as the patient load is really high .

For refractive surgeries, the wait period is one week and for eye transplant there is always about 20 people waiting in the queue.