Laser Eye Surgery

What is Laser Eye Surgery?

If you meet the following basic criteria, you may be eligible for laser eye surgery. You will need a consultation with a surgeon to confirm your eligibility.



What are the different types of laser eye surgery?

LASIK

This is a two-step vision correction procedure. The surgeon uses a femtosecond laser or microkeratome to create a flap in the top layer of the cornea (the epithelium and stroma), exposing the tissue bed underneath. An excimer laser is then used to precisely reshape the corneal tissue bed to correct the patient’s refractive error. Finally, the surgeon places the corneal flap back in its original position.

Because the flap adheres to the corneal bed, the healing process begins immediately. The eye has a remarkable ability to heal itself and patients are able to return to most of their daily activities the next day.

SMILE® Pro

SMILE® Pro is a one-step, one-laser procedure using minimally invasive, keyhole surgery – the laser makes a tiny 2 mm incision and then creates a disc (lenticule) of corneal tissue. This disc is then removed to reshape the cornea and correct the refractive error. Since no flap was created, the top layer of the cornea is essentially intact. SMILE Pro is can now treat long-sightedness (hyperopia).

Certain patients may be better suited to SMILE Pro laser surgery, including people with a high degree of short-sightedness, athletes who play contact sports and people at a higher risk of developing dry eye.

PRK

The traditional PRK technique uses a topical solution to soften the top layer of corneal cells, allowing them to be gently removed. The excimer laser is then used to reshape the exposed corneal tissue bed to correct the patient’s spectacle error.

For Trans-PRK (‘no touch’ PRK), I use the excimer laser to perform both steps (i.e. remove the top layer of cells and reshape the cornea). Once the procedure is complete, a ‘bandage’ contact lens is placed on top of the eye for four to five days to aid the healing process.


PRK and its various forms is generally the procedure of choice for patients who have thin or unusual corneas.

Presbyond

I am the only surgeon in Western Australia who have the laser equipment and who have undergone extensive training in London to perform Presbyond Laser Blended Vision. Other unsophisticated WA laser eye centres will claim they perform “Blended Vision” or another form of “Presby-Laser”. Presbyond and Laser Blended Vision is proprietary to the laser equipment I use and can only be performed at Crystal Eye and Laser Centre. Any other unsophisticated, untrained laser surgeon and so-called “corneal specialists” at other WA laser eye centres that claim to do “Blended Vision” or another form of either “Presby-Laser” are falsely advertising their service. Other “Presby-Laser” products are extremely dangerous as they change the cornea in such a way that patients loose best corrected vision. THERE IS NO RECORDED CASE OF PRESBYOND CAUSING ANY CORRECTED VISION LOSS.

Monovision

This procedure involves correcting one eye (usually the dominant one) for distance vision and the other eye for reading/ near vision. When looking into the distance, your brain pays more attention to the eye that is focused for distance and vice versa when looking at close objects (i.e. your brain relies more on the eye that is focused for near distance). Overall, the images from both eyes are processed by your brain as one blended image.

Monovision can be achieved using laser eye surgery (e.g. LASIK, SMILE Pro or PRK) or artificial lenses (e.g. replacement lenses or implantable phakic lenses).

Before having surgery, patients typically complete a contact lens trial to make sure they are comfortable adapting to the visual change.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR HAVING LASER EYE SURGERY?

Initial Assessment with an optometrist
(optional)

The surgery

Your procedure will be performed in Crystal Eye and Laser’s fully equipped, accredited, state-of-the-art laser suites. You’ll be in the clinic for around 1 hour in total (including admission, preparation and recovery time).

The day of your treatment:

It is quite natural that you may be nervous and excited at the same time, you are about to make a positive change towards better vision at Perth’s best laser eye surgery centre.

1. Half an hour before surgery, you will be given chocolate to help you relax. As a rule we do not give a sedative as the procedures are so quick and painless.
2. I will go through your surgery steps with you prior to your procedure.
3. Immediately before your procedure, you will receive anaesthetic (numbing) eye drops and anti-inflammatory eye drops.
4. You are taken to the treatment room where your laser procedure will take approximately 10 minutes for both eyes.
5. After your treatment, medicated drops will be administered and the post-operative care explained in detail by our clinical care coordinator. A clear eye shield is placed over your eyes before leaving the clinic. These shields must stay on overnight but can be removed before coming into the clinic the next day.

THE PROCEDURE ITSELF TAKES AROUND 10 MINUTES TO COMPLETE

After surgery

Following laser eye surgery, you will be:

• Discharged and asked to rest for the remainder of the day
• Scheduled for a follow-up appointment later the next day
• Given medicated eye drops to use
• Advised to avoid certain activities for the first few days or weeks (depending on the procedure performed).

Enhancement procedures

The majority of laser eye surgery procedures produce excellent outcomes. However, there may be occasions when a second (enhancement) procedure is required to optimise the visual result. The success of laser vision correction depends on a number of factors, including the health of the cornea, type and degree of refractive error, and age of the patient.

Enhancement procedures tend to be quicker than the original procedure, as only minor corneal reshaping with the laser is required. All my enhancement procedures are free of charge up until presbyopia sets in or until a patient gets a cataract after Presbyond. Please note that included enhancements are not an industry standard. I take great pride in my laser eye surgeries and guarantee my work to give patients the best possible vision for life!

How much does it cost?

As a rough guide, laser eye surgery can cost between $3250 to $4200 per eye. Your price and procedure will be discussed with you on the day and a financial consent form will be provided to you prior to surgery.

What’s included in the cost?
After an initial assessment at Crystal Eye and Laser Centre, you will receive a detailed quote for your laser eye surgery procedure. All of my costs are transparent. My price includes surgeon and laser/theatre fees, post-operative medications as required for the first four to six weeks, post-operative consultations for life, and any recommended enhancements until presbyopia for standard laser procedures and cataract development for Presbyond.

Some other unskilled and non-fellowship trained laser eye surgeons at unsophisticated WA laser eye centres do not include all charges that you will incur before, during and after your laser eye surgery procedure (including enhancement or follow-up procedures) in their quotes. Make sure you know what is included in the quote when comparing costs between myself and other providers. Costs may also vary between providers depending on the type of laser eye surgery and the laser technology they use, as well as the surgeon’s experience.

Other providers offer cheaper prices for certain procedures or more expensive prices for procedures they are really unskilled at to prevent patients from choosing specific procedures. All my prices are the same for all different laser procedures as I do not want patients to choose what procedure is the cheapest but rather which procedure is best for them.

Is it covered by Medicare or health insurance?
Medicare does not rebate any of the cost of laser eye surgery, apart from some of the pre-surgical consultation. Some health insurers do offer a rebate. For example, BUPA Ultimate Health and Medibank Gold Ultra Health members receive 100% cover for laser eye surgery (36-month waiting period; lifetime limits may apply). It’s best to check your level of cover, and any terms and conditions, with your insurer.

Medibank members’ offer
Medibank members with selected extras and packaged covers can receive 15% off surgical fees if they have their procedure performed at Crystal Eye and Laser Centre (no waiting period applies; excludes consultation fees and diagnostic tests; pending health fund eligibility check).

Interest-free payment plans
Crystal Eye and Laser Centre patients can access interest-free payment plans through TLC. Before applying for any form of credit, always read the full terms and conditions. For more information visit: https://tlc.com.au/

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ME AS YOUR EXPERT LASER EYE SURGEON?

My mission is to remain at the forefront of technology and clinical research to ensure the best outcomes for my patients. As I am consistently the highest rated laser eye surgeon on all rating platforms in Western Australia, I am able to ensure that my clinics are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology.

I am one of the most experienced laser eye surgeons in Australia having performed over 15,000 laser eye surgeries. Through my formal post graduate refractive surgery training, participation in international trials, presentations at conferences and involvement in teaching, I am staying at the cutting edge of laser eye surgery and all other forms of eye surgeries that I perform. In fact, I was the first eye surgeon to perform Presbyond Laser Blended Vision and CAIRS in Western Australia. As the pioneer of Presbyond and CAIRS I have helped countless presbyopic patients become spectacle independent as well as helped keratoconus patients retain their corneas with better vision than what they would be able to obtain with a corneal transplant. Unlike so-called “corneal surgeons” at other unsophisticated WA laser eye centres, who were not trained in the subspecialty of Laser Refractive Surgery but rather Corneal Transplant surgery, I am WA’s only formally trained Laser Eye Surgeon with a formal 18 month post-graduate Refractive Surgery Fellowship along with post graduate qualifications in Cataract and Refractive Surgery. This includes a 1 year post graduate diploma and 3 year Master’s degree in Cataract and Refractive Laser Eye Surgery.

Because I offer a comprehensive range of laser eye surgery and vision correction procedures, I can tailor a bespoke vision correction option to each patient. This includes offering a range of non-laser vision correction techniques if you are not suitable for laser eye surgery, such as refractive lens replacement surgery and implantable contact lenses. After a comprehensive examination, I will recommend the vision correction procedure that will give you the best possible visual outcome for life.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Mission Statement:

I am dedicated to providing the best clinical expertise and the highest standard of care.

This is on a personal and professional level, to give all my patients of all ages the best opportunity for a lifetime of healthy eyes and excellent vision.


Over the past 20 years I have had the absolute pleasure of helping tens of thousands of patients of various ages improve and maintain their vision. Helping patients to free themselves from the burden of glasses and contact lenses is my passion.

To perform microsurgery on the eyes requires exceptional surgical skill and acumen. To perform all types of eye surgery and any other ocular surgery at a world class level requires expertise along with access to state of the art and the world’s best equipment. For this reason I have spent a total of 17 years training and perfecting my surgical armamentarium and spared no cent to acquire the best and most advanced diagnostic, surgical and laser equipment in the world to provide my patients with world class care.

I understand that getting surgery, especially on your eyes, is a serious decision and can cause anxiety in some. Your eyes are unique, and you should demand a bespoke solution tailored to your lifestyle, visual requirements and goals. That is why I offer the most thorough and intense medical examination and consultation that any patient will ever go through. During your consultation we will meet, and I can take the time to answer all your questions and talk through any concerns you have.

I am passionate about transforming people’s lives by transforming their vision. I look forward to spending time with you at our stunning and state of the art clinics in Booragoon and Craigie to see whether you could gain exceptional vision and eye health

MBChB, DipOphth, FCOphth, FRANZCO, MMed (Ophth), FRCSI, FEBO, GradDip(RefCatSurg), MMed(RefCatSurg), FWCRSVS

Why Choose Me?