What is myopia?
Do you have trouble seeing things that are far away? You are most likely nearsighted. Nearsightedness is a common vision disorder that causes clear vision up close but blurry vision when looking at distant objects. Nearsighted people often squint to try to improve their visual acuity, without always realizing it.
If you recognize yourself in these situations, it may be time to consult an eye care professional at a specialized clinic and consider a suitable solution, whether it be glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. Clear vision changes your life.
What are the symptoms of nearsightedness?
Myopia is a visual disorder that causes blurred distance vision, while near vision remains clear. It is usually caused by an eye that is too long or a cornea that is too curved, causing light rays to converge in front of the retina instead of directly on it.
As a result, a nearsighted person can see nearby objects such as a book or a screen clearly but has difficulty distinguishing distant objects such as road signs, faces in the distance, or the blackboard in a classroom.
This poor distance vision can cause eye strain, headaches, and often forces people to squint in an attempt to improve clarity.
Surgical techniques to correct myopia
Refractive Surgery
Laser refractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, or SMILE) is now a modern, safe, and effective solution for permanently correctingastigmatism. It is intended for people who want to be free of glasses or contact lenses, working directly on the cornea to refocus light rays on the retina.
Intraocular implants
For older patients or those who already have intraocular implants, other solutions may be considered. A comprehensive eye exam is essential to determine the procedure best suited to your visual profile and to ensure personalized and safe care.
How does the surgeon reshape the cornea during the procedure?
When correcting myopia, the goal is to flatten the cornea in order to refocus light rays on the retina. To do this, excess corneal tissue in the center is removed using Excimer or femtosecond laser technology, a precision technology. This treatment reduces the excessive curvature of the cornea, typical of myopia, and provides lasting improvement in distance vision. The laser mainly targets the central optical zone, where defocusing is most pronounced, to ensure clear vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses.
Our Techniques
Our refractive surgery techniques are based on cutting-edge technologies, primarily the excimer laser or femtosecond laser, which are used to precisely reshape the surface of the cornea. These precision procedures effectively correct myopia while ensuring patient safety and comfort.
This laser sculpts the cornea toimprove the focusing of light on the retina, thereby effectively correcting myopia.
There are several types of surgery.
- ➜ Quick and painless surgery.
- ➜ Leading laser correction technique. It uses an excimer and femtosecond laser.
- ➜ Almost immediate recovery.
- ➜ Suitable for thin corneas
- ➜ Suitable for physical occupations (firefighters, military personnel, etc.) or contact sports.
- ➜ Option to perform a TRANSPKR (100% laser procedure).
- ➜ Possibility of treating presbyopia.
- ➜ Quick and painless surgery.
- ➜ Suitable for people with presbyopia.
- ➜ Almost immediate recovery.
Connected generation, short-sighted generation?
A response to a global trend
The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2050, nearly 50% of the world's population could suffer from myopia. With the increasing use of screens, this phenomenon is becoming a global reality and particularly affects cities such as Marseille, where exposure to screens is omnipresent in the workplace, in education, and in leisure activities. PHENICIA VISION offers a targeted response to this problem, treating common visual defects such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia with high-precision surgery.
FAQ: NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS
What is myopia?
Myopia is a visual impairment that prevents clear vision of distant objects. It is caused by an overly curved cornea, which causes the image to form in front of the retina rather than directly on it.
How can I tell if I am nearsighted?
If you have trouble distinguishing road signs, faces at a distance, or subtitles on television, if you often squint to see better, or if you avoid certain activities such as driving at night or outdoor sports, you are likely to be nearsighted. This visual impairment affects distance vision while leaving near vision intact.
Does myopia change over time?
Yes, myopia usually appears during adolescence and progresses gradually over the years before stabilizing, most often before the age of 25. For this reason, it is essential to wait until myopia has been stable for at least one year before considering refractive surgery, in order to ensure reliable and long-lasting results.
What are the solutions for correcting nearsightedness?
Refractive surgery reshapes the cornea to refocus images on the retina, restoring clear distance vision. Unlike glasses or contact lenses, which temporarily correct vision by compensating for the visual defect, surgery has the advantage of acting directly on the eye for a lasting correction. It thus offers the possibility of freeing oneself from corrective devices in everyday life, while regaining natural quality of vision.
What techniques are offered at PHENICIA VISION in Marseille?
- LASIK: The most common, quick, and effective method, ideal for mild to moderate myopia.
- PKR: A procedure suitable for eyes with thin corneas or the specific requirements of certain professions and sports.
- SMILE: An innovative technique, particularly suitable for moderate to severe myopia, with rapid recovery and minimal invasiveness.
Each technique has its own advantages, whether in terms of speed of recovery, precision, or post-operative comfort, to meet the specific needs of patients.
Is the procedure painful?
No, refractive surgery does not require general anesthesia. It is performed under local anesthesia, using anesthetic eye drops applied directly to the eyes, making the procedure painless. The patient remains conscious throughout the procedure but feels no pain. After the operation, slight discomfort may occur, such as a foreign body sensation, stinging, or sensitivity to light, especially in the first few hours. These effects are temporary and usually disappear quickly, allowing a return to daily life in a very short time, depending on the surgical technique used.
How long does recovery take?
The recovery time after refractive surgery varies depending on the surgical technique chosen, but in all cases, it is relatively quick and allows a return to normal life in just a few days.
- LASIK: This method uses a femtosecond laser and offers rapid recovery. Vision improves within hours of the operation, and most patients can return to work the next day. For sports or more intense physical activities, a waiting period of about one week is recommended to avoid any eye trauma. Rapid recovery is one of the major advantages of this technique.
- PKR: Recovery takes a little longer, as the technique acts directly on the surface of the cornea. Visual discomfort and pain may be felt for 48 to 72 hours. Vision gradually improves over several days. It is usually possible to return to work after 3 to 5 days, while sports activities should be avoided for about a week.
- SMILE: The latest and most minimally invasive technique, allowing patients to resume their daily activities almost immediately. Vision improves within a few hours, with very little discomfort orpost-operative pain. Visual comfort and quality of life are quickly restored.
Can myopia and astigmatism be corrected at the same time?
Yes, refractive surgery can treat several vision problems in a single procedure. Hyperopia and myopia are often associated with astigmatism; therefore, laser surgery can correct several vision problems at the same time.
Who can benefit from laser correction?
You may be eligible for the operation if:
You are of legal age.
Your prescription has been stable for at least one year (no change greater than 0.50 diopters in the last two years).
You do not have any medical contraindications, such as:
keratoconus,
cornea too thin,
severe dry eye,
retinal diseases (e.g., AMD, retinopathy, degeneration),
amblyopia,
uveitis,
glaucoma,
progressive cataract.
Should I stop wearing my contact lenses before the operation?
Yes, it is recommended to stop wearing contact lenses :
- At least 48 hours before the examination and at least one week before surgery for soft lenses,
- One week before the assessment and three weeks to one month before the procedure for rigid lenses , to allow the cornea to return to its natural shape.
This ensures accurate measurements of the eye and guarantees more effective surgery, avoiding any over- or under-correction of the visual defect.
Is surgery covered by Social Security?
No, refractive surgery is considered a cosmetic procedure and is therefore not covered by Social Security. However, some mutual insurance companies or supplemental health insurance providers may offer benefits, such as partial coverage of the cost of the procedure in the form of a lump sum or annual reimbursement. It is therefore advisable to check the terms of your policy before undergoing the procedure.
What are the possible risks or side effects?
After the procedure, some temporary side effects may occur:
- Mild dry eye: a feeling of discomfort or stinging, especially during the first few days.
- Light sensitivity: Eyes may be more sensitive to natural or artificial lighting.
- Luminous halos: perception of blurred circles around light sources, especially at night.
These effects are generally mild and gradually disappear within a few weeks as the area heals. A moisturizing treatment is routinely prescribed as a preventive measure to relieve dry eyes, but the risks remain very low.
How do I make an appointment?
Simply book an eye exam via Doctolib or by contacting a center specializing in refractive surgery directly. This appointment, carried out with an optometrist or eye surgeon, will allow your prescription to be accurately measured, the overall health of your eyes to be assessed, and to determine whether your myopia has been stable for at least one year.
More specifically, the review will enable us to:
The preoperative assessment allows you to:
Measure your visual acuity.
Assess the health of your eyes (cornea, lens, retina, tears, and tear glands).
Examine your eyelids and eye muscles to check for convergence or accommodation disorders.
Determine the surgical technique best suited to your profile.
If no contraindications are detected (such as a cornea that is too thin, keratoconus, or early-stage cataracts) and you meet the eligibility criteria, the ophthalmologist will then be able to recommend a suitable surgical technique (LASIK, PRK, or SMILE) and schedule the procedure. This initial consultation is essential to ensure personalized, safe care that meets your visual needs and lifestyle. During this assessment, you will be given a detailed quote, including the price of the operation according to the technique chosen.
What are the contraindications for refractive surgery?
Here are some situations where refractive surgery is not recommended:
- Cornea too thin,
- Progressive conditions (keratoconus, glaucoma, advanced cataracts),
- Uncontrolled autoimmune diseases,
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding (temporarily),
- Severe untreated dry eye.
In these cases, other options may be suggested by the ophthalmologist to avoid any risk of complications.
Is it possible to have surgery if I have already had cataract surgery or if I have implants?
Yes, surgery is sometimes possible even after cataract surgery or in the presenceof intraocular implants, but this depends on the type of implant used, the quality of the cornea, and the residual visual correction. In some cases, complementary refractive surgery (such as LASIK or PRK) may be offered to refine the accuracy of vision after implantation.
A thorough ophthalmological examination, carried out by our eye surgeon, is essential to assess the feasibility and safety of this secondary correction, taking into account visual stability, the condition of the tear film, and corneal topography.
Do presbyopia and myopia occur at the same time?
Yes, in some cases, it is possible to correct myopia and presbyopia during the same procedure, using specific techniques such as presbyLASIK or implant placement. The goal is to enable clear vision both far and near, taking into account age-related visual needs. However, the feasibility of this dual correction depends on several factors:the patient's age, the stability of the myopia, the quality of the cornea, and visual expectations.
How much does surgery for myopia cost, and are there any payment options available?
The cost depends on the technique used (LASIK, PRK, or PresbyLASIK) and the type of surgery required. On average, you can expect to pay:
- Between €2,000 and €2,800 for both eyes at Phenicia Vision
- This fee generally includes the preoperative assessment, the procedure, postoperative care, and follow-up consultations.
- Yes, payment plans are available for up to four installments with administrative fees.
145 euros in administrative fees
This surgery is not covered by Social Security, but some mutual insurance companies reimburse part of the costs (approximately €800 per year, depending on the policy).
