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Vikram, a 38-year-old swimming coach in Vizag, scratched his eye one afternoon while adjusting his goggles. He felt a stinging pain and assumed it was chlorine irritation. Three days later, the pain was worse, his vision in that eye was blurry, and a white spot had appeared on the cornea. His doctor confirmed it was a microbial keratitis case. Early corneal ulcer treatment in India saved his sight. Many people are not as lucky because they wait too long to seek help.

What Exactly Is a Corneal Ulcer

A corneal ulcer is an open sore on the clear front surface of your eye, called the cornea. It is usually caused by an infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses, or rarely parasites. It can also follow a small injury that did not heal properly. Untreated, it can scar the cornea permanently or lead to vision loss in the affected eye. India has one of the highest rates of corneal ulcer cases globally, especially among agricultural workers, swimmers, contact lens users, and people exposed to dust without eye protection.A corneal ulcer is an open sore on the clear front surface of your eye, called the cornea. It is usually caused by an infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses, or rarely parasites. It can also follow a small injury that did not heal properly. Untreated, it can scar the cornea permanently or lead to vision loss in the affected eye. India has one of the highest rates of corneal ulcer cases globally, especially among agricultural workers, swimmers, contact lens users, and people exposed to dust without eye protection.

The Five Symptoms That Mean You Need an Eye Doctor Today

First, sharp pain in the eye that does not settle with rest or eye drops you already have at home. Second, sensitivity to light so strong that you struggle to keep the eye open even indoors. Third, blurred or hazy vision in one eye that gets worse over a day or two. Fourth, a visible white or grey spot on the cornea when you look in the mirror. Fifth, watering or thick discharge with redness that does not clear in 24 hours. Any of these need same-day medical attention.First, sharp pain in the eye that does not settle with rest or eye drops you already have at home. Second, sensitivity to light so strong that you struggle to keep the eye open even indoors. Third, blurred or hazy vision in one eye that gets worse over a day or two. Fourth, a visible white or grey spot on the cornea when you look in the mirror. Fifth, watering or thick discharge with redness that does not clear in 24 hours. Any of these need same-day medical attention.

Who Is Most at Risk

Contact lens wearers who sleep with their lenses on, swim with them, or top up their solution instead of replacing it. Farmers and labourers who get organic matter, dust, or insects in the eye. Patients on long-term steroid eye drops without supervision. People with diabetes whose immune defence is weaker. Anyone recovering from a recent eye surgery. Children with poor hand hygiene who rub their eyes after playing outdoors. If you fall into any of these groups, a small irritation is never just a small irritation.Contact lens wearers who sleep with their lenses on, swim with them, or top up their solution instead of replacing it. Farmers and labourers who get organic matter, dust, or insects in the eye. Patients on long-term steroid eye drops without supervision. People with diabetes whose immune defence is weaker. Anyone recovering from a recent eye surgery. Children with poor hand hygiene who rub their eyes after playing outdoors. If you fall into any of these groups, a small irritation is never just a small irritation.

What the Doctor Will Do at Your First Visit

A trained eye specialist will use a slit lamp microscope to examine the cornea in detail. A drop of fluorescein dye highlights the size and depth of the ulcer. In serious cases, the doctor takes a small scraping of the ulcer for laboratory testing. This tells them whether the cause is bacterial, fungal, or viral. Treatment is targeted to that exact cause. Starting the right antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral drop within the first 48 hours makes a major difference in how the eye heals.A trained eye specialist will use a slit lamp microscope to examine the cornea in detail. A drop of fluorescein dye highlights the size and depth of the ulcer. In serious cases, the doctor takes a small scraping of the ulcer for laboratory testing. This tells them whether the cause is bacterial, fungal, or viral. Treatment is targeted to that exact cause. Starting the right antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral drop within the first 48 hours makes a major difference in how the eye heals.

What Treatment Looks Like

Most ulcers are treated with frequent eye drops. Mild bacterial cases may need drops every hour for the first two days. Fungal ulcers often need longer treatment, sometimes six to eight weeks of medicated drops. In severe cases, hospital admission may be needed for monitored therapy. If the ulcer is deep or shows no response to drops, surgery may be required. The most advanced option is a corneal transplantation to replace the damaged tissue. Modern transplant techniques have a high success rate when done early.

Why DIY Treatment Is Dangerous

Many people in India try home remedies first. Breast milk, honey, rose water, or leftover drops from a relative's prescription. None of these treat the actual infection. Some make it worse by introducing more bacteria. Over the counter steroid drops are especially dangerous because they suppress the eye's natural defence, allowing the infection to spread deeper. By the time these patients reach a specialist, the ulcer has often eaten through layers of the cornea. Avoid all home treatment. Eye drops belong in the hands of an eye doctor.Many people in India try home remedies first. Breast milk, honey, rose water, or leftover drops from a relative's prescription. None of these treat the actual infection. Some make it worse by introducing more bacteria. Over the counter steroid drops are especially dangerous because they suppress the eye's natural defence, allowing the infection to spread deeper. By the time these patients reach a specialist, the ulcer has often eaten through layers of the cornea. Avoid all home treatment. Eye drops belong in the hands of an eye doctor.

How to Prevent Corneal Ulcers in the First Place

Wash your hands before touching your eyes or handling contact lenses. Never sleep in your contact lenses. Replace lens solution daily, not just when it looks dirty. Wear protective glasses while working with dust, machinery, chemicals, or agricultural equipment. Avoid swimming with contact lenses, or wear waterproof goggles over them. See an eye doctor for any eye injury, no matter how minor it seems. Diabetics should keep blood sugar well controlled because high sugar reduces the eye's ability to heal. People with frequent dry eye symptoms should get a proper dry eye assessment with a cornea specialist.

Vikram now coaches with prescription swim goggles and never wears soft contact lenses near the pool. His eye healed completely because he got help early, even though he hesitated for three days. Most people who lose vision to a corneal ulcer hesitated for two weeks instead. The cornea is a thin, transparent tissue with very little margin for error. Treat any persistent pain, redness, or blurred vision as an emergency. The earlier you act, the more vision you save.Vikram now coaches with prescription swim goggles and never wears soft contact lenses near the pool. His eye healed completely because he got help early, even though he hesitated for three days. Most people who lose vision to a corneal ulcer hesitated for two weeks instead. The cornea is a thin, transparent tissue with very little margin for error. Treat any persistent pain, redness, or blurred vision as an emergency. The earlier you act, the more vision you save.

Rahul was nineteen when his vision started getting worse — fast.

His prescription kept changing. Month after month. His eye doctor finally said the words no teenager wants to hear: keratoconus. A condition where the cornea gradually thins and forms a cone-like bulge, distorting everything he looked at.

"Why didn't anyone catch this earlier?" his mother asked.

The doctor's answer was honest: early detection and stopping eye rubbing might have slowed it down. Three years later, Rahul wishes he'd known the warning signs sooner.

If you're a young adult in India — especially if you're in your teens or twenties — this is the guide nobody handed you. <!-- TUMBLR: place "Read More" cut here — everything above is the preview hook -->

Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition that typically starts in the teenage years. It's manageable with timely treatment — but millions of people in India don't find out until significant vision loss has already happened. Here's everything you need to know.

1. What exactly is keratoconus — and why is it more common in India?

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease where the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, gradually thins and bulges into a cone shape. That irregular shape scatters incoming light, causing blurred and distorted vision.

India sees higher rates partly because of genetic factors, vitamin A deficiency in some populations, and allergic eye diseases that trigger frequent eye rubbing — one of the biggest drivers of the condition.

2. Who is at highest risk?

Keratoconus usually appears during puberty and progresses fastest through your 20s. It tends to stabilize by your late 30s or early 40s.

High-risk groups:

Family history of keratoconus

Genetic conditions like Down syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Chronic allergies or atopic diseases

Anyone who rubs their eyes frequently

If any of these apply to you, don't wait for your vision to get worse before getting checked.

3. What are the early warning signs?

This is the one people miss most. Early keratoconus doesn't feel dramatic — it feels like needing a stronger glasses prescription.

Watch for:

Frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription

Blurred, distorted, or fuzzy vision

Increased sensitivity to light and glare

Astigmatism (blurred vision at all distances)

Constant urge to rub your eyes

Seeing double or multiple images from a single object

If you're a teenager or young adult noticing any of these, get a corneal topography scan — not just a standard eye test.

4. Is eye rubbing really that serious?

Yes. This one is huge.

Vigorous eye rubbing applies direct mechanical pressure to the cornea, accelerating its weakening and cone formation. People with allergies or dry eyes rub constantly without realising how much damage they're doing over time.

Breaking the eye-rubbing habit is possibly the single most important thing you can do once keratoconus is detected. Treat the underlying allergy, use lubricating drops, do whatever it takes — but stop rubbing.

5. Can you prevent it if you're at high risk?

You can't change your genetics. But you can significantly slow progression by:

Avoiding eye rubbing completely

Managing allergies properly

Getting annual eye exams with corneal topography if you have a family history

Catching subclinical keratoconus (before major vision loss) gives doctors the window they need to intervene early.

6. What is corneal cross-linking (CXL) — and does it work?

Corneal cross-linking is a minimally invasive procedure that stops keratoconus from progressing by strengthening the collagen bonds in the cornea.

Here's how it works: riboflavin (vitamin B2) drops are applied to the cornea, then UV-A light is directed at it. The combination creates chemical bonds that stabilize the corneal structure.

Studies show CXL halts progression in over 90% of cases and can even improve vision slightly. It's most effective in the early stages — and it's changed the keratoconus story completely for young adults in India who catch it in time.

7. What are the latest advances in 2026?

Keratoconus treatment has moved fast.

AI-assisted CXL planning now uses detailed corneal topography maps to customize the cross-linking procedure for each patient's specific corneal shape. Accelerated CXL protocols have cut treatment time significantly. And combination keratoconus treatment approaches — pairing CXL with Intacs (corneal ring implants) — offer better outcomes for more advanced cases.

The condition is far more manageable now than it was even ten years ago.

8. What are Intacs, and when are they used?

Intacs are small, biocompatible plastic segments surgically placed inside the corneal stroma. They flatten the bulge and reduce astigmatism.

They're recommended when CXL alone hasn't been enough or when significant astigmatism remains after cross-linking. Crucially, they're reversible — they can be removed or replaced if needed.

9. When is a corneal transplant actually necessary?

A cornea transplant becomes necessary only in advanced cases — severe corneal scarring, extreme thinning, or vision loss that CXL and Intacs can't address.

Here's the good news: with modern early intervention, fewer than 10% of keratoconus patients now require transplantation. Early detection has made it increasingly rare.

10. How often should you get checked?

If diagnosed: Monthly or quarterly exams in year one to monitor progression and determine treatment timing. After CXL, check-ups every 3–6 months initially.

If you have family history but no symptoms: Annual comprehensive eye exams with corneal topography, starting in your teen years.

Early detection is everything. It's the difference between a cross-linking procedure and a transplant.

11. Can you wear glasses or contacts with keratoconus?

In early stages, yes. Specialized rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses work better than regular glasses because they vault over the cone and provide a smooth optical surface.

But as the condition progresses, lenses alone become less and less effective. That's why keratoconus treatment matters — it stabilizes the cornea so your vision doesn't keep chasing an ever-changing prescription.

12. What does treatment actually cost in India?

Treatment Cost Range (per eye) Notes Corneal Cross-linking (CXL) Rs. 25,000 – Rs. 60,000 Varies by hospital and CXL technology Intacs (corneal ring implants) Rs. 50,000 – Rs. 1,00,000 May be combined with CXL Corneal Transplant Rs. 50,000 – Rs. 2,00,000 Complex procedure; costs reflect surgeon expertise RGP Contact Lenses (specialty) Rs. 3,000 – Rs. 8,000 per pair Multiple fitting visits needed Diagnostic Corneal Topography Rs. 500 – Rs. 2,000 Essential first step

Most patients start with CXL and avoid transplantation entirely. Catching it early is the most affordable path.

Key Takeaways

Keratoconus starts in teens or early 20s — early detection is everything

Stop rubbing your eyes. This is non-negotiable.

CXL works in over 90% of cases when caught early

Annual exams if you have family history, monthly if already diagnosed

Fewer than 10% of patients now need transplants

Treatment is affordable and effective — but only if you don't wait

Rahul's Update

Two years after CXL, Rahul's vision has stabilized. He no longer needs stronger prescriptions every few months. "If I'd known to stop rubbing my eyes and get checked regularly, maybe I could have slowed this down earlier. But modern medicine caught it before it got worse. Don't wait as long as I did."

Meera noticed something was off during her daughter Ananya's parent-teacher meeting last year. The teacher mentioned that Ananya had started sitting in the front row, not because she wanted to, but because she couldn't see the whiteboard clearly from anywhere else. Ananya was nine years old. She hadn't said a word about it at home.

When Meera took her to a pediatric eye specialist, the diagnosis came quickly: myopia, already at a moderate level, and progressing fast. The doctor said something that stayed with her: "We're seeing this every week now. And the children are getting younger."

Meera is not alone. Across India, in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and smaller cities, the same story is playing out in thousands of households. Myopia (commonly called nearsightedness) is quietly becoming one of the most significant children's eye health concerns of our generation. And the window for early child myopia treatment is smaller than most parents realise.

What Is Myopia and Why Is It Getting Worse?

Myopia happens when the eyeball grows slightly too long, causing light to focus just in front of the retina instead of on it. The result: distant objects appear blurry, but close ones look fine. That's why a myopic child can use a phone without glasses but struggle to read a bus number from 10 metres away.

The condition itself isn't new. What's new is how fast it's spreading, and how young it's starting.

By 2050, research projects that nearly half of urban Indian children could be myopic. A North India study found that 49% of children with myopia showed measurable progression within just one year of diagnosis. A large meta-analysis covering nearly 1,66,000 urban children confirmed the trend is accelerating across age groups, with children between 6 and 10 sitting in the highest-risk window for pediatric refractive errors.

The bigger worry isn't blurry vision. Unchecked myopia that progresses to high levels significantly raises the risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, and macular damage later in life, all of which can cause permanent vision loss.

Three Things Driving the Rise in India

1. Screens, Screens, and More Screens

A 2025 meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open, reviewing 45 studies and 335,000 individuals, found that each additional hour of daily screen time raised the odds of myopia by 21%. Among Indian urban adolescents, average daily screen time nearly doubled during the pandemic years, jumping from around 4 hours to close to 8 hours per day among school-going children.

This doesn't mean screens alone cause myopia. But sustained near-work, staring at something 20 to 40 cm from your face, stresses the eye's focusing system over time. Screens amplify this more than any generation has experienced before, making early consultation with a pediatric eye doctor more important than ever.

2. Almost No Time Outdoors

Natural light plays a direct role in healthy eye development. Sunlight triggers dopamine release in the retina, which slows the axial elongation that leads to myopia. Studies from North India found that children who spent two or more hours outdoors daily showed significantly lower rates of both myopia onset and progression.

The problem: most urban Indian children, between school, tuition, homework, and screen time, are getting far less than two hours of outdoor exposure on most days.

3. Academic Pressure Starting Too Young

India's education system demands intensive close-work from early childhood. Reading, writing, and studying for long stretches, especially in poor lighting or with incorrect posture, adds cumulative strain to developing eyes. The pattern of early academic pressure combined with low outdoor time creates the exact environment where refractive errors take hold and accelerate quickly.

The Signs Parents Often Miss

Children rarely complain about their vision. They adapt. Watch out for:

Squinting to see the TV, whiteboard, or distant objects

Sitting closer than necessary to screens or books

Frequent headaches, especially after school

Rubbing eyes or blinking excessively

Avoiding sports or activities that require distance vision

A drop in classroom performance that doesn't match their effort

These are often written off as tiredness, attention issues, or bad posture. In many cases, it's the eyes struggling to compensate. Only a proper examination by a qualified eye specialist will reveal what's actually happening.

What Can Parents Actually Do?

Schedule a proper eye test, now. Not just a school screening, which often misses moderate refractive errors. A full examination by a qualified pediatric eye specialist gives an accurate picture of where your child's vision stands. Age 5 or 6 is a good starting point, with annual checks thereafter.

Enforce the 20-20-20 rule during screen time. Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It doesn't stop myopia, but it reduces eye fatigue significantly.

Push for outdoor time, daily. Two hours isn't optional. Whether it's an evening walk, a sport, or just open-air play, natural light exposure has the strongest evidence base for slowing progression.

Don't dismiss spectacles. An accurately prescribed pair of glasses protects developing vision. Delaying correction in a growing child doesn't slow myopia, it can accelerate it.

Ask about myopia control treatment options. For children where progression is rapid, there are now evidence-backed myopia management treatment approaches including low-dose atropine drops, orthokeratology lenses, and specially designed myopia-control spectacles. These aren't available everywhere, so early consultation with a comprehensive eye care centre matters.

What Happens If Myopia Is Left Unchecked?

As Ananya's mother Meera learned, early detection changes the trajectory entirely. Ananya now wears glasses, has a strict 90-minute screen limit on school days, and spends evenings in the housing society park. Her last check-up showed the progression had slowed considerably.

For children where myopia isn't caught or managed, the road gets harder. High myopia, a prescription beyond -6 dioptres, significantly increases lifetime risk for retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. Some adults who develop high myopia as children also find their options for corrective eye surgery are limited depending on corneal thickness and stability. Laser eye surgery, including procedures like LASIK, typically requires a stable prescription and sufficient corneal tissue, both of which can be compromised when myopia runs unchecked from childhood.

Managing myopia in childhood isn't about vanity or glasses. It's about protecting the architecture of the eye before it's too late to course-correct.

The Bottom Line

Myopia in Indian children is not a minor inconvenience. It is a fast-moving public health problem, shaped by screens, academic pressure, and the slow disappearance of outdoor childhoods. The biology is complex. The intervention is not.

Get your child's eyes checked by a pediatric eye doctor. Get them outdoors. Take progression seriously from the first diagnosis.

Ananya can now see the whiteboard from the third row. For Meera, that felt like a small miracle. In reality, it was just an eye test she finally booked.

She had done her research. She knew about LASIK. She had read about SMILE. She had bookmarked three different clinics and spent two evenings comparing flap thicknesses and recovery timelines on forums. Then, at her pre-operative consultation, the surgeon mentioned something she had not come across once in all that research.

"Have you considered SILK?"

She had not. Most patients have not. And yet SILK — Smooth Incision Lenticule Keratomileusis — is the newest generation of flapless laser vision correction available in India today, built on a platform that improves on everything that came before it.

Here is every question worth asking about it, answered without the brochure language.

What exactly is SILK eye surgery?

SILK eye surgery stands for Smooth Incision Lenticule Keratomileusis. It is a flapless, blade-free laser vision correction procedure that corrects myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism by reshaping the cornea from within, without creating a flap or cutting the surface.

The procedure uses a second-generation femtosecond laser platform called ELITA, developed by Johnson and Johnson Vision and launched in 2023. The ELITA laser creates a precisely shaped disc of corneal tissue called a biconvex lenticule inside the cornea. That lenticule is then removed through a tiny incision of two to four millimetres, and the cornea reshapes itself into its corrected form.

No blade. No flap. No stitches. The outer surface of the cornea remains almost entirely intact throughout the entire procedure.

How is SILK different from LASIK and SMILE?

This is the question most patients struggle to find a clear answer to, so here it is plainly.

LASIK creates a large corneal flap, lifts it, applies an excimer laser to reshape the tissue underneath, and replaces the flap. The flap heals but remains a permanent structural feature of the cornea, carrying a small lifelong risk of displacement from trauma.

SMILE, introduced in 2012, was the first flapless lenticule-based procedure. It uses a femtosecond laser to create a lenticule inside the cornea and extracts it through a small incision. No flap, but the older laser platform used in SMILE delivers more energy per pulse, which results in more tissue disruption during the lenticule creation process.

ELITA SILK eye surgery is the second generation of this lenticule extraction approach. The ELITA platform uses ultra-low energy laser pulses with a faster delivery system, producing a smoother lenticule surface, less collateral tissue disruption, and a more consistently smooth corneal reshaping than the first-generation platform. The biconvex lenticule design unique to SILK also preserves more depth of focus after surgery and has shown lower rates of post-operative dry eye compared to both LASIK and SMILE.

In short: LASIK uses a flap, SMILE uses lenticule extraction with first-generation technology, and SILK uses the same lenticule principle with a meaningfully improved second-generation laser system.

Is SILK truly flapless laser eye surgery?

Yes, completely. This is the defining feature of flapless laser eye surgery like SILK. No corneal flap is created at any point during the procedure. The ELITA laser works entirely within the corneal tissue, and the only external access point is the small extraction incision.

This matters for two reasons. First, it eliminates all flap-related risks — dislocation, wrinkles, epithelial ingrowth — permanently. Second, it preserves the anterior corneal surface and the bow-spring effect of the cornea's outer layers, which contributes to the cornea's overall biomechanical strength. Clinical studies have shown that SILK preserves up to 30 percent more corneal biomechanical strength compared to flap-based procedures.

For patients in physically active professions or high-impact sports, this is not a minor detail. It is a structural advantage that lasts a lifetime.

Who is a good candidate for SILK?

General eligibility criteria for SILK are as follows:

Age 18 years or above, with a stable prescription for at least one to two years

Myopia up to minus 8 dioptres, with or without astigmatism up to minus 3 dioptres

Adequate corneal thickness for safe lenticule creation

No active corneal conditions such as keratoconus or severe dry eye

No uncontrolled systemic conditions that affect healing

Not pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of surgery

SILK is particularly well-suited to patients who are concerned about post-surgical dry eye, those with active lifestyles or high-contact professions, and patients who want the latest available technology for their vision correction. It is also an option worth exploring for patients who have been told they are borderline candidates for LASIK, as the flapless design requires different corneal thickness calculations than flap-based procedures.

Patients with hyperopia (farsightedness) or prescriptions outside the approved range are currently not candidates for SILK and should discuss alternatives such as ICL or RLE with their surgeon.

Is SILK eye surgery painful?

No. The procedure is performed under topical anaesthesia using numbing eye drops. No injections are involved. Most patients report feeling mild pressure during the lenticule extraction step but no pain during the procedure itself.

The entire laser component takes approximately five minutes per eye. Both eyes are treated in a single session. Patients leave the clinic the same day, usually within two to three hours of arriving, with protective eye shields in place.

Post-operative discomfort is typically mild compared to PRK and resolves within the first 24 to 48 hours. Some patients experience temporary dryness, light sensitivity, or fluctuating vision during the initial healing period, all of which are managed with prescribed drops and resolve as the cornea heals.

What does recovery look like after blade free laser eye surgery?

SILK recovery is notably smooth compared to earlier laser procedures.

Most patients notice a meaningful improvement in vision within 24 hours of surgery. Vision continues to stabilise over the following two to four weeks, with full clarity, including optimal contrast sensitivity and night vision, typically achieved within one to three months.

Key recovery guidelines that apply universally:

Use all prescribed eye drops exactly as directed — typically antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops for the first one to two weeks

Avoid rubbing your eyes for at least four weeks

Stay away from swimming pools and open water for a minimum of two weeks

Wear UV-protective sunglasses outdoors throughout the healing period

Attend all follow-up appointments — these confirm healing is progressing correctly and allow early identification of any concerns

Most patients return to desk work within one to two days. Driving is typically cleared within a week, subject to the surgeon's assessment at the first follow-up visit.

What are the visual outcomes of SILK?

Clinical data from early adoption centres in India and Europe shows that over 95 percent of SILK patients achieve 20/20 vision or better within one month of surgery. Studies at the six-month mark show that 96 percent of eyes achieve 20/20 vision, with a significant proportion achieving vision sharper than the standard 20/20 benchmark.

The biconvex lenticule design of SILK, which is unique to the ELITA platform, is specifically engineered to preserve depth of focus — meaning the transition between near and far vision remains smooth after surgery rather than creating a sharp focal cliff at one distance. This is a meaningful quality-of-life improvement that the previous generation of lenticule-based procedures did not consistently deliver.

How does ELITA SILK compare to flapless LASIK eye surgery in terms of cost?

SILK is a premium procedure, and its pricing reflects the advanced technology involved. In India, the approximate cost of ELITA SILK eye surgery ranges from rupees one lakh twenty thousand to one lakh forty thousand for both eyes, depending on the centre, the surgeon's experience, and the city.

For context:

Procedure - Approximate Cost (Both Eyes)

Standard LASIK - Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 60,000

Femto / Bladeless LASIK - Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1,20,000

SMILE - Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1,40,000

ELITA SILK - Rs. 1,20,000 to Rs. 1,40,000

SILK is priced comparably to premium SMILE but commands a premium over standard LASIK, reflecting the second-generation laser platform, the smoother procedural profile, and the reduced post-operative complication rates.

Most standard health insurance policies in India classify laser vision correction as elective and do not cover it. Many centres offer EMI options. It is worth confirming in advance exactly what is included in the quoted price, specifically whether pre-operative diagnostics, post-operative medications, and follow-up visits are covered.

What questions should I ask before deciding on SILK?

Most patients walk out of consultations with unanswered doubts they did not know how to voice. These are worth asking directly:

Is SILK the right procedure for my specific prescription and corneal profile, or is another procedure a better fit?

Which laser platform is being used? Confirm it is the ELITA femtosecond laser, as this is what distinguishes true SILK from first-generation lenticule procedures.

Who performs the surgery personally? Ask specifically whether the consulting surgeon is the operating surgeon.

What is the centre's enhancement policy if undercorrection or regression occurs after healing?

What is included in the quoted price? Ask specifically about diagnostics, medications, and follow-up appointments.

A surgeon who answers these questions clearly and without impatience is one worth trusting. One who rushes through them is a reason to seek a second opinion.

The Bottom Line

She had her SILK procedure on a Wednesday morning. By Thursday evening she was video-calling her family without reaching for her glasses out of habit, then catching herself mid-reach and stopping, surprised.

The technology is newer than LASIK. The outcomes are sharper than what many patients expected. And the questions — the ones she had not thought to ask before that consultation — turned out to be the most important part of the whole process.

If you have been researching vision correction and have not yet heard of SILK, you have now. The next step is a proper pre-operative evaluation with a qualified refractive surgery specialist who can tell you whether it is the right fit for your eyes specifically.

That conversation is worth having.