Individuals with imperfect vision now have an option available to them that will correct their vision while reducing the need for glasses or contacts. This procedure is called Lasik eye surgery and it corrects vision problems for patients (Top 5 Sites) .
The way Lasik eye surgery works is relatively simple, fast and with minimal pain. And fortunately, the price of lasik eye surgery is becoming more affordable. Usually between $1000 and $6000 per eye.
LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that reshapes the cornea. The process that is used for this sounds a bit dangerous, but is being performed with huge success rates all over the world.
First, the eye is numbed a bit with a solution and the ophthalmologist takes a special knife and cuts a small flap in the cornea of the patient’s eye. The flap is left connected to the eye so there are only three sides surgery. Then, the ophthalmologist pulls the flap back exposing the second layer of the cornea known as the stroma. Then, the ophthalmologist uses a specialized laser that sends pulses to the stroma that reshape the cornea. Then, the flap is replaced and the procedure is completed.
While this procedure does not seem to be very complicated and certainly does not take a lot of time, it is not a perfected science. The reason for this is each eye is shaped differently and the amount of slope on the cornea affects the level of vision problems. The ophthalmologist must gauge how much cornea needs to be removed/ reshaped in order to correct the patient’s vision to 20/20. This is difficult because there is no way to know how the cornea will react to the laser and how close to perfect vision the patient will have.
As a result, lasik eye surgery works very well for patients who want to improve their vision. However, it is not guaranteed to return your vision to 20/20. It may, however, be successful or the eye might not react the way the ophthalmologist imagines and leave the patient with less than perfect sight and still necessitating the use of glasses or contacts. Fortunately, lasik surgery is successful and patients are pleased the majority of the time.
What are the pros and cons of LASIK eye surgery? The best benefit is easy enough to identify. Your eye sight will immediately improve. So if you suffer from any of the following conditions, moderate to high degrees of myopia (nearsightedness), low to moderate degrees of hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism associated with myopia, and have thick corneas, you’ll qualify for the operation.
Two other significant benefits you should consider in weighing the pros and cons of LASIK eye surgery are its fast recovery time and immediate results of improved eye sight. LASIK patients normally get better eye acuity of 75% to 85% within 24 hours. This compares favorably against the two older surgical techniques, radial keratotomy (RK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), where healing & improved vision takes weeks or months to occur. Also, LASIK operations generally take under a minute to perform on one eye, you walk out of the clinic within hours.
Now that the pros have been highlighted, what are the cons of LASIK eye surgery? If the patients’ eye condition is incorrectly diagnosed, the patient might develop permanent debilitating visual symptoms such as glare, halos, or double vision after the operation.
If you don’t have dry eye syndrome, you may develop one. You’d be uncomfortable, and permanent. Left untreated, it will be unhealthy for your corneas.
If you are farsighted, as you age, the benefits of LASIK will diminish with age, you’ll need glasses or contacts in the later years. Many patients experience significant improvement with their vision after LASIK. But remember to have realistic expectations; your age, eye condition and health are serious considerations. You may still need to wear eyeglasses or contacts after the operation. Educate yourself. If you do, you’ll competently manage the pros and cons of LASIK surgery. You’ll enjoy keener eye sight afterwards.
Is LASIK Right for Me?
First, if you are already firmly set in your decision to have LASIK, read these pointers:
1. Make sure you go to a doctor who uses the new Interlase laser for making the corneal flap.
Why? Because the Interlase is 100 times more precise than the "old fashioned" method of using a microkeratome to cut the initial flap. Many speculate that most of the problems that come from LASIK surgery have been due to the impreciseness of the microkeratome device used to cut the cornea.
2. Most definitely insist on a custom wavefront laser to do the actual reshaping of the cornea.
Why? Because the custom wavefront can get rid of what is called ‘higher order aberrations’. What does this mean to you? It means much sharper vision after the surgery and a significantly reduced chance of having halos, starburst and other "complications" from LASIK.
3. Compare perspective surgeon’s websites too see if you can detect a difference equipment and price.
If you haven’t fully decided on whether or not to have corrective surgery, you should be aware of the potential problems of LASIK. Most horror stories you find are from procedures that didn’t use interlase and custom wavefront technology together.
One of the problems with LASIK, has been the LASIK 20/20 phenomenon. Some people do technically see 20/20 after the procedure but it is not normal. Instead, it is hazy or blurred. This is probably due to the higher order aberrations mentioned earlier. That is why it is important to get custom LASIK done. The custom wavefront lasers can remove those aberrations, hopefully allowing you avoid the LASIK 20/20 phenomenon.
If your doctor says that you don’t need the custom treatment, I would ask him if he has a custom wavefront machine. There may be a few legitimate reasons to not have the custom procedure done, but not many. If he doesn’t have such a machine, I would wonder if his recommendation is based on the best thing for you as the patient. It always pays to get a second opinion anyway and in this case, and you should.
I hope this helps you on your quest to learn more about LASIK Surgery and point you in the right directions to gain more information so that you can make an informed decision before deciding to undergo this elective procedure.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or suggest treatment for any health condition. Please consult a health care professional if you have or suspect you have any health related item for proper diagnoses and treatment
