Archive for September, 2006

There are several reasons why so many people who rely on wearing glasses or contacts turn the Lasik vision correction surgery. For people who are very active, the idea of not wearing glasses or contacts is very appealing. Also, vision is usually much better than before the Lasik procedure. Lasik is a widely performed surgery and while it does have some risks and complications, it can greatly benefit many people. To have a better outcome after the Lasik surgery there are five things you should not do after Lasik eye surgery.
Before going in for the Lasik procedure, your eye care professional will have already performed an in-depth eye exam. In addition to an eye exam, you doctor needs a thorough health history to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for this procedure. Many factors can make or break your Lasik surgery. To have a good outcome, you must be a good candidate, you should follow all pre-operative instructions and you should always follow the post-operative instructions.
When you are ready for your Lasik procedure, your doctor will discuss several things to look for after surgery. He or she will also give you detail post-operative instructions. Some of these instructions may include not driving or working for several days, going to your check up appointments when scheduled, avoiding make up or touching the eye and refraining from physical activity.
Do not drive: Your Lasik surgeon will tell you not to drive for a while after the surgery. The time can vary depending on how you are healing. Most Lasik patients are allowed to drive 48 hours after the procedure, but only for short distances. If you are experiencing problems with low-light vision, you may need to restrict your nighttime driving for a few more days. In addition, some Lasik patients do experience some sensitivity to light, so it is highly recommended to wear sunglasses when driving during the day. Also, depending on the work you do, you may need to miss work for up to four days following the procedure. It is necessary to let the eye rest for some time to allow healing to take place.
Do not miss post-operative care appointments: Your Lasik surgeon will recommend that you make appointments for post-operative exams to check the healing of the eye. Usually these appointments are made one week, one month and three months after surgery. It is important that these appointments are made before you have your Lasik procedures. Keeping these appointments are critical to assess the healing after surgery.
Do not apply eye make up: Most Lasik surgeons recommend that all traces of any make up, including lipstick and any facial lotions be completely removed. In order to make sure that no make is present during surgery, it is recommended to not wear make up three days before Lasik surgery. This rule also applies after surgery, too. Most Lasik doctors will tell you to refrain from using any make up or lotions for 48 hours after the procedure. After that time, it is ok to wear make up, excluding eye make up. Eye make up is acceptable after about one week or whenever your Lasik surgeon gives you permission. This rule is important because not only can make up enter the eye and cause infection after surgery, but it can also damage the eye. If you apply make up around the eye area, the chances for accidentally poking the eye with a make up applicator is greater. Also, patients can shower, but should not use any soap or facial washes on the face for two to three days after the surgery.
Do not touch the eye: After your surgery, your Lasik doctor will advise you to not touch the eye for any reason. You will be given eye drops, but other than that, nothing should enter the eye area. Most Lasik patients will receive an eye shield to wear while sleeping. These shields help prevent accidentally rubbing or poking while sleeping. Touching the eye can cause contaminants to enter the eye area and will increase the risk of infection. Touching the eye or accidental poking the eye can lead to damage of the surgery area and will cause problems with the healing process.
Do not participate in strenuous physical activity: Some normal activities can be done about 48 hours after surgery, but should be done with caution. Golf and light work outs are all allowed one day after surgery, but with any outdoor activity, protective eye wear should be worn. Reading, working on the computer and watching television are also allowed 24 hours after surgery, but it is recommended to keep the eye moisturized with eye drops. After three days, playing with children, sexual activity, and sunbathing are all allowed with proper care taken to protect the eye area. In seven days more strenuous activities such as jogging, light biking, and lifting weights can be added. If you are involved with extreme sports such as kayaking, skiing, parachuting and skiing, talk to your doctor about when these sports are allowed. Usually it will be at least three months after surgery.

While lasik eye surgery is the preferred form of eye surgery, there are risks involved. Knowing these risks before having the surgery is essential. You need to understand what you are getting yourself into before you do it. Knowing the risks will help you make an informed and educated decision about having surgery done on your eyes.
An investigation by “Health Which?” in the United Kingdom, has learned that most doctors can perform the procedure after only a couple days of training. They don’t even need any kind of certification. Given this information, you would think that there would be bigger risks and side effects involved.
One side effect is corneal ectasia. This is when fluid pressure builds up on the eye. The only fix for this is to have a corneal transplant. Imagine that, you go in to the doctor to have him simply reshape your eye so you can see better, and then you end up having to have a transplant. However, most doctors forget to mention this possible outcome when talking with you about lasik.
Some people go through all the pain and suffering and costs of surgery to have another complication. Some people come out of surgery losing their sight completely. Imagine going to a doctor to fix a minor problem and ending up with a worse problem. This is another thing they fail to mention when consulting you.
Some patients also experience some other minor complications. Some people develop a glare in their vision. There also have been cases of seeing halos. There is also the risk of developing double vision as a result of surgery. All these effects can seriously impair your ability to function normally. You went to the doctor to repair the natural damage to your eyes, and now the problem is worse. Most of these complications can not be fixed with glasses, contact lenses, or more surgery. Consider this before trusting someone who only took a class for a few days to shine a laser in your eye.
Another thing to consider is that one major and common side effect of lasik eye surgery is severe dry eye syndrome. One of the effects of the surgery is that you may not be able to produce enough tears to keep the eyes moist and comfortable. This causes major discomfort and is not healthy for the eye. It can also caused diminished vision or reduce vision quality due to blurriness. This may be treated with eye drops and plugs. For some the effect is permanent.
One last thing to think of when getting this surgery: It does not work for everyone. Although everyone wants to come out of surgery with 20/20 vision, the truth is that not everyone will walk away with perfect vision. In fact there is a risk that the surgery will have little to no effect on your vision. It may only make a slight improvement. You may still have to wear glasses even if you had a weak prescription to begin with.
Also, please remember that if you are farsighted, there is a big chance that the surgery may diminish with age. So if you are getting this done at a young age, you may have to get glasses again in the future. You may be able to get the surgery in the future, but that is an expensive thing to have done every couple years.
Lasik is a fairly new procedure. It was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use until 1998. Experts are still not sure of the long term effects of this surgery or its side effects. Keep all this in mind when considering Lasik surgery. Do your homework. Look for doctors who have done a lot of lasik procedures. Check their track record. Ask them if they have any patients you can contact to ask them questions the doctor won’t answer. Don’t base your decision on the cost, base it on experience. These are your eyes they will be cutting on. Keep that in mind when choosing a doctor. Also beware of any place that offers perfect vision or your money back. This is medicine not business-there are no guarantees. If a doctor tells you otherwise, it’s time to find another doctor.

Lasik vision correction surgery is a perfect option for many people. Those who are very active can benefit a great deal from this vision correction procedure. Most people who have this surgery can return to their regular activities and jobs within days and experience very little side effects. One group of people that can benefit from Lasik surgery is the military. Now the military often recommends Lasik to their ranks to help them stay free of glasses and contact lenses.
It is estimated that 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers every year must keep track of glasses, prescription goggles and lenses. When in the battlefield, these can be a burden. Glasses are often lost or broken and contacts can make eyes irritated if not taken care of properly. Now that the military has been offering Lasik over the last four years, keeping track of these corrective lenses is becoming easier for many.
Lasik surgery involves a procedure that takes only one or two minutes per eye. For those with low to moderate vision difficulties this is often the perfect choice. During surgery, a small laser called the excimer is used to cut a very small flap in the cornea. Corneal tissue is then removed to improve vision. The amount removed varies from patient to patient. The flap is then replaces and left to heal. Those in the military, who choose Lasik, will often choose the PRK technology. This method eliminates the need for cutting a flap in the cornea and allows soldiers who must stay very active not worry about the healing process. This can be a huge benefit for military personnel who must stay in constant physical activity such as jumping, flying and swimming.
The Lasik procedure is cost effective for the military because they do not need to worry about the constant need for replacing lost or broken glasses. Lasik and PRK cost the military around $1000 per patient. This price is much lower than the cost for the average civilian who can pay anywhere from $1700 to $2500 for the procedure. It is estimated that about one third of all military personnel can benefit a great deal from the Lasik procedure. For the army, the surgery is determined based on need and the severity of the vision problems. Those who are active in combat are usually favored to have the procedure.
The Air Force also recommends Lasik for some of their pilots. This program started in 2001 and offers PRK to those eligible. Lasik, however, is an option, but only for those who perform light duties. Those who perform flight operations cannot have Lasik because the cornea flap can cause complications during flight.
Military servicemen and women who take part in Special Forces troops and those who see combat and wear respirators or gas masks are usually given top priority for the vision correction surgery. Those who are not good candidates for the surgery are those who have medical conditions such as arthritis or diabetes because the healing process could be slowed.
Participation in the vision correction procedures are completely optional, but encouraged for those in combat. Glasses that are broken during combat can severely affect or damage the eyes resulting in permanent vision loss. This has happened many times in the past. While some vision correction patients still need some type of corrective lenses after surgery, the time needed to wear these can be drastically decreased.
It is estimated that over three million Americans have benefited from the Lasik procedure since it was approved in 1995. The surgery causes few complications and less that one percent of those having the procedure experience difficulties.
Congress approves of the plan for giving Lasik to the military. It approved $15 million for the eye surgery for the military. For the 40 percent of just Air Force troops that rely on corrective lenses, the surgery can be a great benefit. Airmen who are ejected from planes often have their glasses ripped off by the high wind.
Lasik can be a huge help for military troops that have a need for eyeglasses or contact lenses. For those who engage in battle broken glasses pose a threat to permanent vision loss. Lost glasses can make a solider defenseless if he or she cannot see to perform their duties. Lasik and other methods of laser vision correction surgery can help many.