Describe it in your own words — we’ll find the service and price.
12 Orynbor St. Look for the blue façade with the eye sign.
70,000+ operations at the clinic · up to −12.0 D
Lose the glasses in one day. At 10:20 you walk out of the clinic, and the next morning you go to work without glasses. The ReLEx SMILE correction itself takes 25 seconds on the Carl Zeiss VisuMax laser.
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes · three methods to choose from
20,000 ₸ per visit · two hours · an honest answer on whether you’re a candidate
20,000 ₸ per visit · two hours · an honest answer
You take your glasses off — and the first thing you do is look for where you put them
Drag the slider sideways · pick your minus: we’ll show what it looks like and which methods suit you
At −4.0 D all three methods are suitable
ReLEx SMILE · from −0.5 to −10.0 D · astigmatism up to ±5.0
from 700,000 ₸ for both eyesfrom 58,300 ₸ a month
Femto-LASIK · from −12.0 to +4.0 D · astigmatism up to ±3.0
from 500,000 ₸ for both eyesfrom 41,700 ₸ a month
PRK · from +3.0 to −6.0 D · astigmatism up to ±3.0
200,000 ₸ for both eyes≈ 16,700 ₸ a month
Laser vision correction at RB CLINIC (Astana, 12 Orynbor St.): ReLEx SMILE, Femto-LASIK and PRK on ZEISS VisuMax and MEL 90 lasers. Price for both eyes: PRK — 200,000 ₸, Femto-LASIK — from 500,000 ₸, ReLEx SMILE — from 700,000 ₸. Four surgeons, the clinic founder is academician Bigeldiyev, and the clinic has performed 70,000+ surgeries. It starts with diagnostics — 20,000 ₸ per visit. Check-ups for three months after surgery are free.
For international patients
Patients from other countries come to Astana for laser vision correction at RB CLINIC. Send your records on WhatsApp — we reply in English and arrange an online consultation with a surgeon.
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes ≈ $440
In the UK, laser vision correction costs £1,500–3,000 per eye. bluefinvision.com
Compared for both eyes
US dollars at the National Bank of Kazakhstan rate on 04.11.2026: 453.26 ₸ per $1
Method and price
The method is decided by your eye, not your budget: minus, astigmatism, corneal thickness and shape. You know the first two yourself — check right now. Thickness shows only on Pentacam, so the surgeon names the exact method from the scan.
At −4.0 D all three methods are within range. Which one to choose is decided by the surgeon after diagnostics: a method isn’t prescribed by the minus alone.
from 700,000 ₸ for both eyes
from −0.5 to −10.0 D · astigmatism up to ±5.0
The gentlest of the three methods and the most expensive
ReLEx SMILE: price and timingfrom 500,000 ₸ for both eyes
from −12.0 to +4.0 D · astigmatism up to ±3.0
The choice when the minus is too high for SMILE
Femto-LASIK: price and timing200,000 ₸ for both eyes
from +3.0 to −6.0 D · astigmatism up to ±3.0
The most affordable option. The first 2–3 days take some patience
PRK vision correction: priceThe ranges are quoted directly from the surgeon. The surgeon names the exact method from your Pentacam scan: it’s decided by corneal thickness and shape, not by the minus alone.
The price is written before you even ask. It’s the same with all four surgeons and is given for both eyes. The surgeon names the final amount after diagnostics: it depends on which method suits you.
Kaspi Red
Halyk Bank
Up to 24 months with Kaspi Juma. Halyk — 12 or 24 months; the sales team will confirm the terms
The total, eyes and surgeon go into the WhatsApp message · the surgeon names the exact amount after diagnostics
| Method | Price for both eyes | Range it treats |
|---|---|---|
| ReLEx SMILE | 350,000 ₸ | from −0.5 to −10.0 D · astigmatism up to ±5.0 |
| Femto-LASIK | 250,000 ₸ | from −12.0 to +4.0 D · astigmatism up to ±3.0 |
| PRK | 100,000 ₸ | from +3.0 to −6.0 D · astigmatism up to ±3.0 |
| Pre-correction diagnostics | 20,000 ₸ | per visit, with Pentacam; repeat visit 12,000 ₸ |
The price is the same with all four surgeons. Related to laser correction: myopia treatment, astigmatism treatment, keratoconus and cross-linking.
Pick the day of your surgery — and see how many working days each method will take. After ReLEx SMILE and Femto-LASIK people go back to work the next day, after PRK — on day 3–4. Asking for time off is easier when you can already see your days.
ReLEx SMILEBack to work — on Monday
Working days off: 1 — the day of surgery itself
Femto-LASIKBack to work — on Monday
Working days off: 1 — the day of surgery itself
PRKBack to work — on Monday or on Tuesday
Working days off: 1–2
Your surgery day goes into the WhatsApp message together with your prescription
These are average timings — the same as in the “Recovery” section below, from our surgeons’ answers. We count a five-day week: Saturday and Sunday are days off. When you can drive, swim in a pool, use a sauna and do sport, the surgeon will tell you for your eye at the diagnostics.
Laser correction reviews
We don’t write reviews on patients’ behalf. Below are photos and videos from laser days, filmed at the clinic: people speak for themselves, we just hold the camera. And the Yandex Maps listing, where ratings are given without us.
The photo is taken in the lobby on laser correction day, when the group is getting ready to go home and nobody is wearing glasses any more. The dark glasses aren’t because something is wrong: for the first hours after the laser the eyes are sensitive to light. That morning these same people were just as nervous as you are now.
Filmed at the clinic, no script: people speak in their own words. The preview plays by itself; tap and the video opens right here, with sound.
Minus 7 for twelve years: nervous before surgery — and delighted right after. “I worried for nothing”
@dr.bigeldiyev“It’s like you’re not doing anything”: a patient under the ReLEx SMILE laser — and ten seconds to go
@dr.bigeldiyevBulbul Kartanbay, the first Kazakhstani woman in the women’s NHL, — ReLEx SMILE with Dr. Darbuzov
@dr.bigeldiyevMinus 8.5 and minus 9: someone once told her “no”. ReLEx SMILE with Dr. Bigeldiyev
@dr.bigeldiyevMinus 2.5 and twenty years in glasses — her vision appeared right there on the table
@dr.bigeldiyevThe patient cried before surgery: forty minutes of talking — and laser correction
@dr.bigeldiyevAizhan came from Kyrgyzstan: ReLEx SMILE — “fast, painless, I see everything”
@dr.bigeldiyevReviews on Yandex and Google Maps
People left these reviews themselves, on Yandex and Google Maps — where we can’t delete or change a single word. All are about laser correction: ReLEx SMILE, Femto-LASIK and PRK. Newest first, quoted as written.
Хочу отдельно поблагодарить Жанерке Аллабергеновну. Перед лазерной коррекцией было страшновато, но она всё объяснила, рассказала. После операции соблюдала все рекомендации. Сейчас очень рада результату!
Спасибо Жанерке Аллабергеновне за моё зрение! Столько лет носила очки, а теперь после коррекции могу обходиться без них. Очень непривычно, но приятно. Желаю вам всего самого хорошего!
Делала лазерную коррекцию ReLEx SMILE у Руслана Нурлыбековича. Очень рада, что выбрала именно этого врача! Перед операцией всё тщательно проверил, объяснил, как будет проходить процедура. Сейчас зрение намного лучше, даже непривычно видеть всё без очков. Руслан Нурлыбекович, спасибо вам огромное за вашу работу!😍😍 …
Хочу выразить огромную благодарность врачу Дарбузову Р. Н. за проведённую лазерную коррекцию зрения методом ФРК! ❤️
Долго шла к этому решению, и очень рада, что доверила своё зрение именно этому специалисту. Спасибо за профессионализм, внимательное отношение и уверенность, которую вы даёте пациентам. Восстановление требует времени и терпения, но результат того стоит.
Отдельное спасибо за ваш труд, ответственность и возможность смотреть на мир другими глазами в прямом смысле этого слова! 🥹
Однозначно рекомендую врача Дарбузова Р. Н. всем, кто задумывается о лазерной коррекции зрения!
Была на приёме у доктора Камзиной, а затем решилась на лазерную коррекцию зрения методом ФРК. Всё прошло хорошо! Доктор подробно объяснила каждый этап, поддерживала и отвечала на все вопросы. Сейчас зрение значительно улучшилось, очень рада, что доверилась именно этому специалисту! Большое спасибо за профессионализм и заботу!
Сделала операцию ФРК у Жанерке Аллабергеновны. Восстановление прошло довольно быстро, зрение заметно улучшилось. Очень довольна результатом! Спасибо вам, Жанерке Аллабергеновна, за вашу работу, внимательное отношение. Желаю вам крепкого здоровья и дальнейших успехов!
RB Clinik көзіме лазерный коррекция жасатым дәрігер Бегелдиновқа рахмет
Хочу поблагодарить доктора Камзину за внимательное отношение и профессионализм! Делала лазерную коррекцию зрения методом ФРК. Операция прошла успешно, доктор всегда была на связи, подробно объясняла все рекомендации. Очень рада, что решилась на эту процедуру. Спасибо за возможность видеть мир по-новому! ❤️
Я все еще не могу поверить, что попрощался с очками! Операция прошла очень хорошо. Большое спасибо врачу Ляззат Муратовне за профессионализм и заботу!
Коррекция зрения Релакс Смайл - результатом доволен!
Все прошло отлично. В начале я очень волновалась, но оказывается бояться нечего.Доктор Дарбузов Р.Н отличный врач , отвественный , если делать лазерную коррекцию то только у него
Спасибо большое Дарбузову Руслану Нурлыбековичу и клинике, получила отличное зрение спустя 12 лет ношения очков! Обслуживание было на высшем уровне, очень вежливый и дружелюбный персонал, к каждому пациенту очень трепетное отношение, клиника оставила приятное впечатление, буду рекомендовать знакомым
I express my sincere gratitude to ophthalmologist Ruslan Nurlybekovich for his high professionalism, attentive care and the successful operation, Femto LASIK and blepharoplasty😍. Thanks to your skill and care everything went calmly and confidently. Thank you for the chance to see the world more clearly and feel better🙏.
I also want to thank the whole clinic team for the warm welcome, kindness, support and comfortable atmosphere. Special, deepest gratitude to Gulima Serikovna❤️🤗🙏. From the very first minutes I felt her attention, care and sincere wish to help patients. I wish you good health, well-being and further success in your noble work🙌!
Хочу выразить огромную благодарность клинике RB и доктору Дабрузову Руслану Нурлыбековичу за проведённую операцию по коррекции зрения методом ReLEx SMILE.
Очень долго сомневалась и переживала, но с первой консультации почувствовала спокойствие и уверенность. Доктор всё подробно объяснил, ответил на все вопросы, был внимателен и тактичен.
Сама операция прошла быстро и комфортно. видеть мир чётко без очков это невероятное ощущение!
Отдельно хочу отметить профессионализм, аккуратность и человеческое отношение. Чувствуется большой опыт и искреннее желание помочь пациенту.
Спасибо за новый взгляд на жизнь!
Рекомендую доктора Дарбузову Руслана Нурлыбековича всем, кто задумывается о лазерной коррекции зрения.
… Сначала мне провели лазерную коагуляцию (зашили разрыв и отслоение сетчатки). Отдельная благодарность хирургу Саяту Араловичу за эмоциональную поддержку, юмор и высокий уровень работы!
Спустя месяц после этого мне сделали долгожданную коррекцию зрения методом Relex smile …
Мне сделали лазерную коррекция зрения ПО Релекс Смайл RB CLINIC.Cпасибо Жукееву Санат Сериковичу …
Хочу выразитт благодарность Бигельдиеву Р К и всю его команду, RB Clinic. Сделали моим детям лазерную коррекция зрения Релекс Смайл …
… Делала лазерную коррекцию зрения по методике Femto LASIK и с самого начала ощущала уверенность и поддержку. На консультации подробно объяснили все этапы процедуры, рассказали о возможных рисках и показали, как будет проходить восстановление 🙏 …
Большая благодарность Доктору Бигельдиеву и всей его команде!!! Провели дочери лазерную операцию по методу ФРК. Зрение уже поднялось с 50% до 70%, это очень радует. Как нам Доктор объяснил, дальше ещё пойдет улучшение. Мы очень рады, что наконец-то дочь сможет ходить без очков, это была ее мечта с детства. Желаем Вашей клинике и каждому врачу и сотруднику в ней самого наилучшего и успехов в Вашем нелегком, благом, благородном деле!!!
I had ReLex smile laser correction yesterday, a huge thank you to Darbuzov Ruslan Nurlybekovich for the operation. The money was worth it: the very next day after surgery I see everything at 90%. The operation was quick and painless, the doctor is a true professional 🫰❤️👍👍
I had Femto-LASIK surgery with Dr. Darbuzov Ruslan Nurlybekovich. The operation went well, everything was quick and comfortable. Now I see very well and I’m happy with the result. A huge thank you to the doctor for his professionalism and attentive care. I definitely recommend him!
I want to share my review of the relex smile vision correction I had with Dr. Darbuzov Ruslan Nurlybekovich. From the consultation, through the operation itself, right up to the post-operative period, all the staff were very responsive, listened to every request and tried to help with every question.. the operation was very quick and comfortable, and I am deeply grateful to Dr. Ruslan Nurlybekovich for your work and for freeing me from wearing lenses and glasses, without which I couldn’t even leave the house before.
I want to say a huge thank you to Dr. Sagat Serikovich for my vision correction. From the very first visit you feel real professionalism, confidence and calm — it really helped me cope with my nerves before the procedure. Everything was explained in detail, without rushing, and at every stage I understood what was happening. The correction itself was quick and comfortable, and the result exceeded all my expectations — my vision became sharp, as if a new world had opened up. Thank you for the attentive care, the support and an excellent result.
I had laser correction using the FEMTO-LASIC method with Dr. Darbuzov R. N. Everything went well: within a few hours my eyes stopped watering and the pain was gone, and my vision improved just as they said — one eye 80%, the other 90%, because I’ve had astigmatism since childhood, what they also call a lazy eye. Finally I don’t need contact lenses or glasses!
My vision was -2.5, I thought about surgery for a very long time, doubted it, was scared, but this clinic advised me so competently that no doubts were left at all; at reception Moldir and Asel met me and explained how everything would go
My doctors: Darbuzov R.N and Bigeldiyev R.K did their job professionally, my vision is now a full 110%😅
Thank you to this clinic
Huge thanks to the RB Clinic team. I had vision correction using the PRK method. I want to highlight Dr. Ruslan Nurlybekovich’s professionalism! A dream come true!😍
I want to express huge gratitude to Dr. Ruslan Nurlybekovich and the whole RB Clinic team for their high professionalism. I had laser vision correction, and the result exceeded all my expectations. The operation was quick and painless, and recovery was easy thanks to the doctor’s detailed advice. Now I see the world in a new way. Thank you so much for your work and care🫶🏻
I want to express my sincere gratitude to the RB Clinic team for their professionalism and attentive care for patients! Special thanks to Dr. Bigeldinov, who performed my laser vision correction.
I’d also like to say a separate thank you to the wonderful clinic staff, Moldir and Aziza, who accompanied me before and after the operation, showing care and attention at every stage. I also thank nurse Shagane for her “light hand” when taking blood samples.
The clinic has a real team approach and a sincere wish to help patients. The doctors’ professionalism combined with the staff’s kindness creates an atmosphere of reliability and comfort.
Thank you to the whole RB Clinic team for your work and care for patients!
I express my sincere gratitude to ophthalmologist Ruslan Nurlybekovich for his high professionalism, attentive care and the successful operation, Femto LASIK and blepharoplasty😍. Thanks to your skill and care everything went calmly and confidently. Thank you for the chance to see the world more clearly and feel better🙏.
I also want to thank the whole clinic team for the warm welcome, kindness, support and comfortable atmosphere. Special, deepest gratitude to Gulima Serikovna❤️🤗🙏. From the very first minutes I felt her attention, care and sincere wish to help patients. I wish you good health, well-being and further success in your noble work🙌!
Great girls, Ruslan Darbuzov operated yesterday, -3.75, today it’s 100%
RB clinic service is good
everything went just as I hoped
My gratitude is endless
Dr. Bigeldiyev’s team
Five doctors, one price. The clinic’s founder is Rishat Bigeldiyev, with 35,000+ operations behind him: every doctor works under his guidance, and four of the surgeons hold the “Altyn Dariger” medal. The price is the same with all five, so you choose a person, not a price.
Student of Academician Bigeldiev
Ophthalmic surgeon
ReLEx SMILE, Femto-LASIK and PRK. “The operation went well, everything was quick and comfortable,” — Sayazhan Kairzhan, Yandex Maps, June 2026.
operating since 2018
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes
Ophthalmic surgeon
MSc in Ophthalmology from University College London (2020), Bolashak scholar.
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes
Laser ophthalmic surgeon
All three methods and cross-linking for keratoconus: at the clinic only he performs it. ReLEx SMILE school with ZEISS participation, 2023.
in ophthalmology since 2019
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes
Ophthalmic surgeon
ReLEx SMILE, Femto-LASIK and PRK at the clinic’s prices; sees patients every working day. “A very attentive and competent doctor,” — Zhansulu Karamurzina about her appointment, July 2026.
6 years in medicine
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes
Ophthalmologist
Consults and performs ReLEx SMILE, Femto-LASIK and PRK, matching the method to your cornea. For keratoconus she strengthens the cornea with cross-linking.
training in India, 2024
from 200,000 ₸ for both eyes
The founder, Dr. Bigeldiyev, performs ReLEx SMILE too. An academician with over 35,000 surgeries behind him. If you want him to do your laser, — write to us.
The reels on the cards play muted; tap to open them on the surgeon’s Instagram.
Surgeons’ reels from Instagram, as they are. The preview plays by itself; tap to open the reel.
Afraid of the laser? The clinic’s founder shows how correction works, right at the machine
@dr.bigeldiyev ↗For the surgeon it’s an ordinary Friday — many corrections in a day. For you — one day, and home without glasses
@dr.darbuzov ↗Correction in the morning — home the same day. The surgeon sees them off: “an easy recovery and reaching your goals with new vision”
@dr.jukeev ↗It was −5, after ReLEx SMILE — 120%: the patient shows her result herself
@dr_allabergenovna_ ↗PRK — the most affordable laser at the clinic. The patient tells how it all went
@dr_allabergenovna_ ↗
Why here
Scroll: the camera moves in to the laser
Second laser: ZEISS MEL 90Works in tandem with VisuMax for Femto-LASIK and PRK. The method is chosen for your eye, not for whichever laser the clinic has.
Oculus PentacamScans the whole cornea. This is the map that shows keratoconus, which rules out correction.
The surgeon answers
ReLEx SMILE, SmartSight or CLEAR: Dr. Bigeldiyev explains the difference
@dr.bigeldiyevWhich method to choose
“Professionals always choose the brand they trust”
What you’ll learn from the video
Bigeldiyev Rishat KalilullaevichClinic founder: eyes and eyelids
What happens in the operating room, step by step: Dr. Bigeldiyev explains ReLEx SMILE before you lie down under the laser
@dr.bigeldiyevDr. Bigeldiyev shows how PRK went and what the patient feels — so everything at the clinic feels familiar
@dr.bigeldiyevThe VisuMax femtosecond laser at RB CLINIC: Dr. Bigeldiyev shows the machine
@dr.bigeldiyevA laser surgery day: eight PRK procedures — and what will happen to you in the operating room
@dr.bigeldiyev“No one screamed here — it doesn’t hurt”: PRK in 26 seconds
@dr.bigeldiyev“Have you heard patients scream here? No — because it doesn’t hurt”
What you’ll learn from the video
Bigeldiyev Rishat KalilullaevichClinic founder: eyes and eyelids
Same-day surgery: tests in the morning, laser by midday, new vision by evening
@dr.bigeldiyevPRK on Friday — back to work on Monday: why the protective lens is needed and when it comes off
@dr.bigeldiyev“You get your tests done, by lunchtime we do the laser, and by evening your eyes will show you what they can do”
What you’ll learn from the video
Bigeldiyev Rishat KalilullaevichClinic founder: eyes and eyelids
PRK from the inside: Dr. Bigeldiyev talks with the patient right during surgery
@dr.bigeldiyevA young woman lost vision because of contact lenses: Dr. Bigeldiyev explains why showering and swimming in lenses is risky
@dr.bigeldiyevOne eye for distance, the other a touch closer: how correction is planned so reading stays comfortable after 45
@dr.bigeldiyevWho PRK suits: minus up to 5, astigmatism up to 3 — and why young patients choose it
@dr.bigeldiyevWhy her PRK cost so little — Dr. Bigeldiyev’s answer, with a touch of humour
@dr.bigeldiyevPRK: the advantages of this method for mild short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism
@dr.bigeldiyev“I see both children and adults, and work with laser correction, cross-linking and outpatient surgery”
What you’ll learn from the video
Dyusenbayeva Zhanerke AllabergenovnaLaser vision correction
Reply in WhatsApp
Pick a question — the message writes itself. WhatsApp opens with the text ready, you just tap “Send”. The clinic’s call centre will tell you which methods fit your prescription, the price for both eyes and the earliest diagnostics date.
Your question
Goes to WhatsApp
Hello! I’d like laser vision correction. I’ll send a photo of my glasses prescription — please tell me which methods fit my numbers and the price for both eyes.
Send to WhatsAppYou can edit the text in WhatsApp before sending.
Surgery day
This isn’t a rough plan but the real timing the surgeon gave us. Of the eighty minutes, twenty-five seconds are laser; the rest is paperwork, diagnostics, preparation and the check afterwards. No need to take a week off: if you work in an office, you’ll be back at your desk tomorrow.
Walk through the clinic — 8 rooms in a minuteStarting with the laser room
Contract, consent, payment. It takes fifteen minutes.
Pre-surgery diagnostics and the doctor’s check: we recheck all the measurements.
You’re taken up to the ward, change your clothes, and the area is prepared.
You’re taken into the operating room. The ReLEx SMILE correction itself takes 25 seconds.
The operation is over, and you’re taken back to the ward.
A post-surgery check and discharge. You’re free to go: no drips and no overnight stay.
We ask about this separately, because this is exactly what people fear. Here is the surgeon’s honest answer: you’ll feel cool liquid on the eye and the doctor’s touch, but not on the eye itself. The bright light will feel uncomfortable: you’re simply not used to it.
You can’t. A lid speculum holds the eyelid open: you physically can’t close the eye, even if you want to. That is the answer to the biggest fear. Two people are beside you the whole time, the surgeon and the theatre nurse; you’re awake and hear every word.
A large clinic at 12 Orynbor St: four floors, with the main lobby on the ground floor and our own RB OPTICS store right next to it. Not a single rendered interior: everything you see below was photographed here.
Come in for diagnostics: two hours, six instruments and an honest answer. Even if correction isn’t right for you, you’ll leave understanding what’s going on with your eyes.
The difference between the methods isn’t the quality of the result but how many days you’ll be uncomfortable.
With PRK the protective lens comes out on day five, and from then on your vision improves quickly. The full result comes in three to four weeks.
Are you a candidate
We say no. Not to play it safe, but because in these cases correction would do harm. Better to learn this at diagnostics than after surgery.
First treatment or a pause, then correction.
Keratoconus, a thinning of the cornea, shows up only on the Pentacam topographer. If it’s missed and correction is done anyway, the result is a complication that then has to be halted rather than treated. Keratoconus needs cross-linking, a completely different operation. That’s exactly why we examine the eye for two hours, not twenty minutes.
The age for correction is 18 to 45. There are exceptions, but only the surgeon decides them, based on the anatomy of your particular eye.
Six instruments, two hours and a real conversation with the surgeon at the end: that’s how every laser vision correction at RB CLINIC begins. Afterwards he either names the method or honestly explains why it isn’t possible.
20,000 ₸per visit · repeat visit 12,000 ₸ · two hours
First step
Two hours, six instruments and an honest answer: whether you’re a candidate for correction and, if so, with which method.
If you want the details
This section is for those who like to understand the mechanics. It doesn’t affect the decision — feel free to scroll on.
The cornea is the clear front layer of the eye, through which light gets in. With myopia its shape makes the image focus not on the retina but in front of it. Hence the blurry distance vision.
The laser changes the shape and thickness of the cornea: it removes exactly as many microns as needed, exactly where needed, so light focuses on the retina again. The lens, the retina and everything else inside the eye are left untouched.
The new corneal shape stays for good. That’s why we don’t operate on progressive myopia: first the minus has to stop growing.
The eye is slightly longer than it should be, or the cornea bends light too strongly. The rays meet at a point before reaching the retina and then spread out again.
What reaches the retina isn’t a point but a blur. Hence blurry distance vision with perfect near vision.
Minus isn’t a “weak eye”. It’s an eye that focuses too early.Here it’s the opposite: the eye is shorter, or the cornea bends light too weakly. The rays don’t have time to meet and reach the retina still spreading apart.
A young eye makes up for this by straining the lens, so for a long time nothing bothers you. With age the reserve runs out: first near vision goes, then distance.
Hence tired, heavy eyes by evening: the eye has been adjusting focus by hand all day.The laser reshapes the cornea: it removes a handful of microns exactly where needed. Light focuses to a point precisely on the retina again.
Nothing goes inside the eye: the lens, the vitreous and the retina aren’t touched at all.
The new shape stays for good. That’s why we don’t operate on a growing minus: first it has to stop.The laser doesn’t treat the retina or “improve” the eye. It only corrects the lens at the entrance — the cornea.
The laser shapes a tiny thin lens, the lenticule, inside the cornea, and the surgeon removes it through an incision of a couple of millimetres. The surface stays intact.
That’s why you can’t see it from outside on the diagram: there’s nothing to see, all the work is under the surface.
The least intervention on the surface, and so the least dryness afterwards. Our main method.The laser separates a thin flap of the front layers, the surgeon folds it back like a page of a book, the second laser removes the necessary microns from the exposed bed, and the flap is laid back down.
It heals on its own — no stitches needed.
The fastest return of vision: sharp by the evening of the same day.Only the very top layer of cells is removed, the laser works directly on the exposed surface, and the layer then grows back by itself.
Recovery takes longer: three to four days in a protective lens.
On the other hand, it works where the cornea is too thin for the other methods. Sometimes it’s the only way to live without glasses.The method isn’t chosen by the patient or the price list. It’s chosen by the thickness and shape of your cornea, which diagnostics reveal.
The cornea is the most densely innervated place in the body. The nerve endings sit right in the surface layer, which is why the tiniest speck in the eye hurts so much.
The drops penetrate a fraction of a millimetre and switch off exactly these endings. The drug goes no deeper — and doesn’t need to.
Blue on the diagram shows how far the drug reaches.This is what this particular method looks like from the surgeon’s side. A lid speculum holds the eyelid open: you physically can’t blink, which removes the main fear of “what if I flinch”.
There’s no pain during the operation: the eye is numbed with drops. And the whole operation takes less time than the journey to the clinic.
No general anaesthesia. You’re awake and can hear the surgeon.You feel touch. Not pain.
All three conditions share one thing: light doesn’t focus on the retina. With myopia the image forms in front of the retina, and distance vision is poor. With hyperopia it forms behind the retina, and near vision suffers. With astigmatism the cornea is irregularly shaped, and light focuses at several points at once: the picture doubles and blurs at any distance.
Laser vision correction solves all three the same way: it changes the shape and thickness of the cornea so light focuses precisely on the retina again.
ReLEx SMILE. A femtosecond laser shapes a thin lens of the right form, the lenticule, inside the cornea and removes it through an incision of about two millimetres. The top layer of the cornea is barely disturbed, so vision recovers fastest and dry eye after correction is less common.
Femto-LASIK. A laser creates a thin corneal flap, it’s folded back, an excimer laser vaporises the necessary amount of tissue beneath, and the flap goes back in place. The method covers the widest range of vision problems, including hyperopia up to +4.0 dioptres.
PRK. The earliest of the three methods and still a working one. The top epithelium of the cornea is removed, the laser works on the surface, and the epithelium regrows by itself within a few days. Hence a longer and less comfortable recovery, but PRK works where the cornea is too thin for the other two methods.
Before eighteen the eye is still growing, and myopia often keeps progressing: correcting it with a laser is pointless, as the minus returns because of growth, not because the surgery “wears off”. After forty-five, age-related long-sightedness begins, which comes from the lens, not the cornea: correcting the cornea doesn’t solve it, and the conversation turns to lens replacement. There are exceptions at both ends, but only the surgeon decides them, based on the anatomy of your particular eye.
Keratoconus is a condition in which the cornea thins and gradually bulges into a cone. Laser correction removes part of the corneal tissue, making it thinner still. With keratoconus this speeds up a process that then has to be halted rather than treated. For keratoconus, cross-linking is done — a procedure that strengthens the cornea’s collagen fibres. It’s a fundamentally different operation: it doesn’t replace vision correction but solves a completely different problem.
Keratoconus can’t be seen on a routine exam. Only a topographer shows it — in our case the Oculus Pentacam. That’s why diagnostics before laser vision correction take two hours.
If diagnostics show your eye can see one hundred percent, that becomes the goal of the surgery. If there are accompanying conditions that mean the eye can’t reach that acuity to begin with, the goal is your own maximum: that may be eighty percent, or fifty or sixty. The surgeon tells you your figure after diagnostics, before surgery — not after it.
The right time to measure the result differs: after ReLEx SMILE and Femto-LASIK — the next morning, after PRK — on day five, although final vision settles by the third or fourth week.
Soft lenses — 2–3 days before. Rigid lenses — 2–3 months before.
Lenses change the shape of the cornea. Without the break, diagnostics will show a distorted picture, and the method may be chosen wrongly.
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Four myths the surgeon hears at almost every consultation, and nine questions people ask most often.
Not during the operation: drops numb the eye, and you don’t feel the laser itself. What you do feel: cool liquid on the eye, the doctor’s touch near the eye and a bright light you’re simply not used to.
The laser changes the shape of the cornea, and that shape stays. There’s no going back to the old minus. That’s exactly why we don’t operate on progressive myopia: first it has to stop.
You can. Pregnancy and childbirth after laser correction aren’t forbidden: it’s one of the most persistent myths, and we end up dispelling it for almost every female patient.
You can. There are restrictions, but for the first days, not for life. People usually return to sport at the same time as to work.
From 18 to 45. Before eighteen the eye is still growing, and the minus may come back as it grows. After forty-five, age-related long-sightedness begins, which correcting the cornea doesn’t solve. There are exceptions at both ends, but only the surgeon decides them, based on the anatomy of your particular eye.
The price is given for both eyes: PRK — 200,000 ₸, Femto-LASIK — from 500,000 ₸, ReLEx SMILE — from 700,000 ₸. The price is the same with all four surgeons. Pre-correction diagnostics — 20,000 ₸ per visit, a repeat visit — 12,000 ₸; follow-up checks for three months after surgery are free.
After ReLEx SMILE and Femto-LASIK — the next day, if you work in an office. After PRK — on day 3–4: recovery takes longer, and for the first days the eye has a protective lens.
Yes. Kaspi — with no overpayment, for any surgery: for 12 months, and up to 24 months with Kaspi Juma. Halyk — 12 or 24 months, for cataract and laser vision correction only; the sales team will confirm Halyk’s terms.
PRK — 200,000 ₸ for both eyes, Femto-LASIK — from 500,000 ₸, ReLEx SMILE — from 700,000 ₸. The price is the same with all four surgeons, with Kaspi instalments over 12 months at no extra cost: 16,700, from 41,700 and from 58,300 ₸ a month. Before surgery there is a diagnostic visit, 20,000 ₸ per visit.
Yes. ReLEx SMILE corrects astigmatism up to ±5.0, Femto-LASIK and PRK up to ±3.0 together with myopia or hyperopia. The surgeon chooses the method from the corneal scan at the diagnostic visit. More on astigmatism treatment.
ReLEx SMILE — from −0.5 to −10.0 D, Femto-LASIK — from −12.0 to +4.0 D, PRK — from +3.0 to −6.0 D. Corneal thickness matters as much as the number: it is measured on Pentacam at the diagnostic visit, and the surgeon names the method before surgery.
Both are done on ZEISS lasers, and you are back at work the next day. ReLEx SMILE needs no flap: the laser shapes a lens inside the cornea and the surgeon removes it through a micro-incision of about 2 mm. Femto-LASIK uses a thin flap but covers higher myopia and hyperopia up to +4.0 D. The surgeon tells you which one suits you after the diagnostic visit, based on the corneal scan.
Look at four things: the laser, the surgeon, the diagnostics and what the price includes. RB CLINIC has ZEISS VisuMax and MEL 90 lasers, four laser-correction surgeons, and ReLEx SMILE is also performed by the clinic founder himself, academician Bigeldiyev. Diagnostics take two hours in six stages, with Pentacam. Check-ups for three months after surgery are free. Patients rate the clinic 5.0 on Yandex Maps.
