JOEUNNUN VISION CLINIC

How Can I Tell If My Vision Is Regressing after Vision Correction Surgery? After vision correction surgery, some patients may experience a gradual decline in their corrected vision—this is called regression. While vision correction doesn’t have an expiration date, regression can still occur. It most commonly happens within 1 to 2 years after surgery, rather than decades later. What Causes Vision Regression After Surgery? Regression is more likely when a large correction is needed—especially in cases of high myopia or astigmatism. Another common cause is poor compliance with post-operative care, such as skipping anti-inflammatory eye drops that help stabilize the cornea. If regression occurs, LASEK patients are typically re-treated with LASEK. For LASIK patients, there are two options: 1. Re-lift the original corneal flap for another LASIK procedure (if the flap is still suitable). 2. If too much time has passed or the flap is not stable, LASEK is used instead for re-treatment. ...

Can Presbyopia Occur in Your 20s or 30s? Yes, it can—especially in people with hyperopia. When you’re younger, your eye’s natural lens is flexible and strong, allowing you to focus easily on near objects. This often masks any underlying hyperopia, making your vision seem normal. However, if you have hyperopia, you may start to feel the symptoms of presbyopia earlier, sometimes even in your 30s. Today’s lifestyle—filled with constant near work on phones, tablets, and computers—makes early symptoms more noticeable. That’s why more people are experiencing discomfort from early presbyopia at a younger age. Can You Avoid Presbyopia as You Age? Some people in their 60s or 70s can still see up close well, often because of mild myopia or astigmatism. Astigmatism creates two focal points in the eye, which can help maintain both near and distance vision to some extent. Another case is nuclear sclerotic cataracts, where the lens hardens and becomes more nearsighted, temporarily improving near vis...

  Things You Must Know Before Getting an Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) Surgery Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) surgery is a vision correction surgery where a special lens is inserted between the natural lens and the iris inside the eye. Since the lens is placed behind the iris, there’s no need for corneal incisions, allowing the cornea to remain intact. Because no incision is made on the surface, most patients can return to their daily activities just four hours after the surgery. Additionally, the lens can be replaced in the future if vision decreases. However, everyone’s eye structure—such as eye length, anterior chamber depth, and internal space—differs. If the wrong size or type of lens is inserted, it may lead to pain or complications. That’s why it’s essential to thoroughly measure the eye and carefully select the right lens before undergoing ICL surgery. Could the Lens Break or Cause Discomfort After ICL Surgery? In procedures like LASIK or LASEK, if the remaining corneal th...

What is Irregular Astigmatism? Most people live with irregular astigmatism. However, irregularity gets worse in certain cases, the individual may experience that it is hard to achieve clear vision even with corrective lenses. This means that no matter how well glasses are prescribed, vision does not improve beyond a certain level. People may experience a sudden decline in visual clarity and report symptoms related to this visual fluctuation. Another common symptom is experiencing glare or halos, especially for individuals with larger pupils, as these symptoms tend to worsen in low-light conditions. Irregular astigmatism can also occur after SMILE LASIK surgery. A key factor in avoiding it is ensuring the correction is centered accurately on the visual axis. If the surgery is performed off-center, it can lead to irregular astigmatism. Therefore, proper alignment with the visual axis is critical to minimizing this risk. What is Visual Axis? The Visual Axis is an imaginary line that conne...

Is There a Required Period to Avoid Wearing Contact Lenses before SMILE LASIK? Yes, before undergoing SMILE LASIK, it is important to stop wearing contact lenses for a certain period. For soft contact lenses, it is recommended to remove them at least a few days prior to the surgery. For hard lenses, at least two weeks is advised, and for dream lenses, discontinuation for a minimum of one month is necessary. Wearing soft lenses for a long period can cause corneal inflammation and micro-damage to the cornea. If inflammation is present in the cornea, surgery cannot be performed and the accuracy of the examination is reduced. A cornea that has been altered by lens wear typically takes about two weeks to return to its natural shape. In the case of dream lenses, a thorough exam is conducted after one month of discontinuation, and surgery is usually scheduled following 1–2 weeks of repeated tests to confirm stability. If corneal irregularities are still observed during the exam, it is necessa...

What are the Requirements to be Eligible for SMILE LASIK? SMILE LASIK offers a broader range of eligibility compared to other vision correction surgeries. However, there are certain cases where SMILE LASIK may not be suitable. For example, if the cornea is too thin to undergo even LASIK or LASEK, then SMILE LASIK would not be possible either. Is SMILE LASIK Possible on Eyes that have Already Undergone Surgery? Since SMILE LASIK is also a laser-based vision correction surgery, it is generally difficult to perform it as a secondary correction on eyes that have already undergone previous laser surgery. Aside from that, there are certain mechanical limitations to the procedure. For example, while SMILE LASIK can correct myopia and astigmatism, it cannot correct hyperopia regardless of the degree. This is because SMILE is not designed to reshape the cornea in a way that addresses hyperopia. Even for myopia and astigmatism, there are diopter limits. For   myopia over -10.00 diopters cann...

Does Finding the Center of the Eye Prevent Complications in SMILE Surgery? There are several reference points for determining the “center” of the eye. The visual axis is not aligned with the center of the cornea or the pupil. The visual axis is the line that connects the object we are focusing on with the fovea, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp vision. For the most accurate correction, surgery should be centered on this visual axis. If the surgery is centered on the corneal center or pupil center, and there is a significant difference from the actual visual axis, it can lead to irregular astigmatism or glare and halos after surgery. LASIK and LASEK surgeries allow for adjustment based on the visual axis using computer-guided systems. However, SMILE surgery does not currently offer this alignment capability. During SMILE surgery, the device gently presses and suctions the eye to perform the procedure. The eye is connected to the surgical machine, and patients are ins...