JIPMER establishes Lasik facility for advanced ophthalmic surgeries

Written by Sanchari Chattopadhyay Published On 2021-07-04T09:15:17+05:30 | Updated On 4 July 2021 9:15 AM IST

JIPMER establishes Lasik facility for advanced ophthalmic surgeries

Puducherry: Premier institute Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has recently established a Lasik (Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) operation theatre at the cost of Rs 5 crores.

The operation theatre was inaugurated by JIPMER Director Rakesh Aggarwal in the hospital named 'Barraquer Refractive Laser Suite. The medical superintendent Saka Vindo Kumar and former heads of the ophthalmology department Vasudev Anand Rao and Renuka Srinivasan were also present during the program.

Subashnini Kaliayaperumal, Professor and Head of Ophthalmology on the occasion said that LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) is a procedure that reshapes the part of eye called cornea to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses in case of Myopia (short sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

Lasik surgery enables a person to see even without glasses or contact lenses thus reducing or eliminating the necessity of those impositions. It can effectively help those who want to pursue the profession of sportspersons, and people aspiring to join the army or navy.

Any jobs, such as people working in Travel Industry, Army or Navy prefer people without spectacles and this service will be a boon to the youth, UNI quoted Kaliayaperumal as saying, adding that this would be suitable for people engaged in professional sports and pilots as well.

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"Lasik involves raising a thin flap of corneal tissue using a special motorized blade and remodelling of corneal shape using an excimer laser (a form ultraviolet laser). The procedure is performed using eye drops to anaesthetize the eyes. It is done on an outpatient basis and takes only 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Although the patient will feel some pressure sensation, the procedure is painless," professor and head (ophthalmology) Subashini Kaliaperumal told Times of India.

"These surgeries which are mainly done doing away with glasses/contact lenses or for functional reasons normally cost Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh in private centres. However, Jipmer shall be offering these services at a highly subsidized rate of Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000," said a release from the institute.

JIPMER is the second government hospital in south India that possesses an excimer laser facility and thus, it conducts several ophthalmic surgical procedures. Jipmer has also acquired the collagen cross-linking unit (used to strengthen the corneal tissue) which is effective in treating a condition called keratoconus (when the cornea thins and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape leading to blurred vision).

PuducherryJawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and ResearchJIPMERLasik facilityophthalmic surgeries

Source : with agency inputs

Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Sanchari Chattopadhyay has pursued her M.A in English and Culture Studies from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She likes observing cultural specificities and exploring new places.