Why Divya Prabha!

Divya Prabha Eye Hospital was founded in 1998 by Prof. Dr. Suseela Prabhakaran and is now an established centre of excellence for people requiring rapid access to ophthalmic treatment. While we offer a wide array of ophthalmic treatments, the Hospital is renowned for being a leading centre for cataract surgery in Kerala. We only do cataract one way, the way we would want it done for our own family members, many of whom we already have. We plan and perform your procedure using the best customized plans with the safest technology available anywhere worldwide to help you achieve your personal best vision.

You might get a discounted fee at some center, but only by agreeing to lesser technology, less surgeon involvement, and much less follow up care. And more importantly, in most cases, your surgeon won’t be the one doing your evaluation, the single most important step to accuracy in treatment!

Evidence shows that if you choose a hospital in which you feel comfortable and confident, you're likely to improve both the result of your treatment and your experience while you're in hospital. You should learn as much as you can about available technologies and about your surgeon in whom you place your trust to take care of your precious sight.

There are many reasons for you to prefer Divya Prabha Eye Hospital. Here are only a few examples of why discerning patients choose Divya Prabha Eye Hospital.

 As a surgeon owned and managed hospital, we are deeply invested in our patient's futures and are unrelenting in our vision to deliver the highest levels of clinical care, innovation and patient satisfaction.

 You will have a very high degree of access to your surgeon. Your surgeon will be intimately involved with your post operative care unlike in the other environments where volume demands require that operating surgeons are almost always operating.

 Our cataract success rates are are higher than the national UK average. Our cataract complication rates are significantly lower than the national average for NHS in UK .

 Previous surveys have shown 1 in 350 cases of endophthalmitis (a serious infection in the eye following surgery) within the NHS in UK; there have been no cases in Divya Prabha Eye Hospital.

 Waiting times with prior appointment is fifteen minutes

 Clinical results comparable to UK and USA

Apart from cataract surgery, we offer a comprehensive range of treatments for eye conditions and are continually introducing new services bringing best practice from around the world.

Divya Prabha Eye Hospital's mission is to make people happy by restoring vision. We will strive to provide a single high standard of eye care consistent with our tradition of excellence. The hospital is dedicated to the protection, preservation and restoration of vision. For children, who have a world to discover and explore, and for adults, who desire to live independently and with dignity, at any age.

LASIK

What is LASIK:

LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) is a relatively safe and effective outpatient laser surgery used to treat short sight, long sight and astigmatism. With LASIK, the ophthalmologist uses a laser to permanently reshape the cornea, the transparent front layer of the eye. This improves the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina, the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye. LASIK is a quick and often painless procedure, and for the majority of patients, the surgery improves vision and reduces the need for corrective eyewear.

How does LASIK work?

LASIK works by altering the curvature of the cornea. In long sight, the goal of LASIK is to flatten the too-steep cornea; in short sight, a steeper cornea is desired. LASIK can also correct astigmatism by smoothing an irregular cornea into a more regular shape.

Who Is a Good Candidate:

People who can see well with corrective spectacles and whose eyes are otherwise healthy may benefit from LASIK. LASIK allows people to perform most of their everyday tasks without corrective lenses. However, people looking for perfect vision without glasses or contacts run the risk of being disappointed.
Over 90% of people who have LASIK achieve somewhere between 20/20 and 20/40 vision without glasses or contact lenses. A second surgery maybe required for perfect vision. Some people may need to wear glasses for certain activities, such as reading or driving at night.

Individuals that are not deemed good candidates given today’s technology may be able to have the surgery in the future, as technology advances and new techniques are refined.

The ideal candidate includes:

• Over 18 years of age
• Stable glasses or contact lens prescription for at least two years.
• Sufficient corneal thickness.
• Do not suffer from any disease, vision-related or otherwise, that may reduce the effectiveness of the surgery or the patient’s ability to heal properly and quickly.
• Fully informed individuals who have realistic expectation from the procedure.
Candidates should thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of the procedure with their physicians and understand that for most people, the goal of refractive surgery would be the reduction of dependency on glasses and contact lens, not their complete elimination.

How do you prepare for surgery?

It is important for each individual to weigh the benefits, complications, options and alternatives before deciding upon LASIK eye surgery. A good online research and knowledgeable expectations is central to ultimate satisfaction with LASIK procedure.
Patients wearing soft contact lenses are usually instructed to stop wearing them 5 to 21 days before surgery. Patients wearing hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts have been worn.

The Procedure




LASIK is performed as an out-patient procedure. The patient will be lying down and the eyes are numbed with a few drops of topical anesthetic. A speculum is placed between the eyelids to keep the eyes open and prevent blinking.
A suction ring is placed on the eye and this prevents the eye from moving. The patient may feel pressure from the eyelid holder and suction ring, similar to a finger pressed firmly on the eyelid. From the time the suction ring is put on the eye until it is removed, the vision will appear dim.
A microkeratome is then used to create a hinged flap of paper-thin corneal tissue. This flap is lifted and folded back. The LASIK laser is preprogrammed with measurements customized to the patient’s eye. The patient will look at a special pinpoint light called a fixation light or target light while the laser sculpts the exposed corneal tissue. After the laser has reshaped the cornea, the surgeon places the flap back into position and smoothes the edges. Within two to three minutes, the flap sticks in position. The actual LASIK surgery usually takes less than five minutes.

After the procedure

• The patient can go home soon after the procedure.
• To help protect your cornea as it heals a transparent shield maybe placed over your eye.
• Eye drops are given to help the eye to heal and to alleviate dryness.
• It may take 3-6 months for the vision to stabilize.

What are the side effects.

LASIK, like any surgery, has risks and complications that. Most complications can be treated without any loss of vision. There is a chance, though extremely small, that the vision will not be as good after the surgery as before, even with glasses or contacts.

Some people experience temporary side effects after LASIK that usually disappear over time. These side effects may include discomfort or pain, hazy or blurry vision, scratchiness, dryness, glare, halos or starbursts around lights, light sensitivity, or small pink or red patches on the white of the eye. In rare situations, these effects may be permanent.

Infection is a small possibility with any surgical procedure, including LASIK. Antibiotics can usually clear up such infections. Rarely, complications during surgery may cause irregularities in the corneal flap, requiring further treatment.

The FDA website on LASIK states: "Before undergoing a refractive procedure, you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits based on your own personal value system, and try to avoid being influenced by friends that have had the procedure or doctors encouraging you to do so."