Limbal relaxing incision (LRI) is a minimally invasive procedure used to correct astigmatism (a football-shaped cornea that causes blur).
The LRI procedure is painless cornea procedure because numbing gel is used. Dr. Brian is a cornea specialist and uses LRI by making small, arc-shaped incisions at the limbus, the border where the cornea meets the sclera (the white of the eye). These incisions change the shape of the cornea, making it more round and thus reducing or eliminating astigmatism.
What is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common vision problem caused by a mishaped cornea. A perfectly shaped eye has a cornea that is uniformly round, like a basketball. In an eye with astigmatism, the cornea is more like a football, curved more steeply in one direction than the other – think of how a football where the laces area is steeper than 90 degees away which is flatter. This irregular shape prevents light from focusing correctly on the retina, leading to blurred or distorted vision at all distances.
How the LRI Procedure Works
Dr. Brian has been performing LRIs for over 28 years which he performs in the comfort of our office. Dr. Brian’s uses a special diamond blade to make one or two small, curved incisions on the peripheral cornea, near the limbus. These custom incisions are made at specific locations based on custom measurements guided by ultrasound. As the incisions heal, they cause the cornea to flatten in that steep area, effectively reshaping your cornea to reduce the astigmatism.
- Duration: The procedure itself is very quick, usually taking under 10 minutes.
- Anesthesia: A local anesthetic is used to numb your eye, so you won’t have any pain from the procedure.
- Recovery: Your recovery is generally rapid, and you can often return to your normal activities within a day. Vision may be blurry initially, but improves over time. You might even notice vision improvement the next day.
Benefits and Risks of LRI
Benefits
- Simple and Quick: The LRI procedure is fast and overall very safe.
- Effective: It is highly effective for correcting mild to moderate astigmatism.
- Low Risk: The procedure is considered low-risk, especially when compared to LASIK.
- Can reduce dependence on glasses: A successful LRI can reduce or even eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses for distance vision.
Risks
- Undercorrection or Overcorrection: The amount of astigmatism corrected can be difficult to predict due to healing factors and can potentially lead to undercorrection (some astigmatism remains) or overcorrection (the astigmatism is corrected too much, creating new astigmatism in a different direction).
- Infection: As with any surgery, there is a small risk of infection, however, Dr. Brian has never had an infection after LRI in his entire career.
- Fluctuating Vision: Vision may fluctuate for a few days or weeks afterwards as the eye heals.
Who is a Good Candidate for LRI?
Dr. Brian determines who are best candidates for LRI. It is also a viable option for those who have astigmatism after a prior eye procedures including LASIK, CK and cataract surgery.
