It isn’t just the USA, Europe and other western nations that are seeing an upsurge in use of LASIK laser eye treatment. Patients in Oman are also benefiting.

Patients requiring treatment visit the Muscat Eye Laser Centre, which uses a particular system called Z-LASIK. Uptake has apparently been nothing short of phenomenal. Worldwide 30 million operations have taken place, treating short and long sightedness plus astigmatism.

Speaking with reporters, one of the lead surgeons and cofounders of the centre, Dr Maria Clara Arbelaez said: “Muscat Eye Laser Centre is the only provider of Z-LASIK surgeries in Oman. It’s a procedure that has benefitted thousands of people who now enjoy not only enhanced vision, but as a result, also a more vibrant lifestyle. Many of our patients are those who have heard about our high standards from patients simply overjoyed by the success of the surgeries performed on them.”

She added: “The process begins with a series of tests to ensure that the patient’s eyes are healthy and suitable for laser vision correction. Depending on the results, our team of specialists will design the treatment that will best correct the refractive errors.

“The actual surgery takes only a couple of minutes with patients given eye-drops to numb the eye. Post-surgery, we advise patients to return home immediately and rest. Patients are given eye-drops during the first few days, and any discomfort or eye sensitivity will gradually disappear.”

Unlike traditional eye surgery, which involved physical surgery with scalpels, corrective eye surgery using laser is both bladeless and painless. It’s been used with great success in both the USA and in the last decade with UK patients.