The anatomy of the human eye and how laser treatment affects it
What is the structure of the human eye?
How much do you know about the structure of the human eye? If the answer is ‘not much’ then fear not, as you’re in the right place! Lots of our patients learn about the anatomy of the eye at their initial consultation with us, where we depict exactly which parts of the eye are treated during laser eye surgery, lens exchange/cataract surgery, and implantable contact lens surgery.
First things first, here are the different parts of the human eye labelled:
Image courtesy of Studynlearn
The visible parts of your eye which you see every day are probably the terms you are most familiar with. The pupil is the black hole in the centre of your eye which expands and contracts to allow the correct levels of light in. The iris is the coloured section of your eye which can be blue, green, hazel or brown. The sclera is the white of your eye which appears around your iris.
Which parts of the eye does vision correction surgery treat?
When we perform laser eye surgery, we apply the laser to the cornea only. By changing the shape of the cornea, the image that you see is clearer and sharper. You may also have imperfections on the surface of your cornea which we will smooth out with Wavefront (all our laser treatments include Wavefront) in order to produce an even better visual result. As you can see from the diagram above, laser eye surgery is minimally invasive as the cornea is just your eye’s surface.
Implantable contact lens (ICL) surgery is a vision correction option available to people who aren’t suitable for laser eye surgery, or who would simply prefer to have a non-laser based treatment. The implantable contact lens is made of a biocompatible material, Collamer, and can safely remain in your eye for the rest of your life. Your surgeon will insert it into your eye to sit behind your iris but in front of your eye’s natural lens. No part of your natural eye is removed, nor altered with a laser, so ICL surgery is completely reversible in the future, should your visual requirements change.
Lens exchange surgery and cataract treatment are exactly the same procedure as each other. A cataract forms when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy due to proteins clumping together. This is a natural process which occurs with age in most people, particularly common from your 60s onwards. Cataracts can be easily removed by replacing your eye’s natural lens with a clear, artificial lens. Not only can this lens correct your prescription (if you upgrade from a basic cataract lens), but it also prevents a cataract from forming again in the future. Patients who don’t yet have a cataract, but are aged in their 40s-50s, may also be recommended lens exchange treatment as the surgery, if a multifocal lens is used, provides the opportunity to eliminate the need for reading glasses, as well as standard prescription glasses and contacts.
The reason you need reading glasses once you reach your 40s is due to the deterioration of the ciliary muscles in your eyes. These muscles change the shape of the lens in your eye, allowing you to focus on different visual ranges. The muscles also hold the lens in the correct position in the middle layer of your eye and regulate the flow of the aqueous humour within your eye. As you get older, the lens in your eye hardens and the muscles begin to stiffen. This makes it harder for you to focus, leading to a deterioration of your near vision, which requires reading glasses.
Your Optimax consultation
At your consultation with us, a full examination of your eye will be performed. A number of characteristics of your eye will be assessed, including your pupil size, corneal thickness and eye dryness, to name just a few. Of course, these examinations are additional to a basic eye test which will allow us to assess your prescription and its stability. All of this, along with a lifestyle questionnaire to determine your motivations for treatment, combines to give us your most suitable treatment option.
If you would like to book in for your free consultation with us, you can do so online here or by giving us a call on 0800 093 1110. We look forward to seeing you in your local Optimax clinic soon. Your journey to clear, natural vision starts here.
