Posts Tagged ‘lasik eye surgeon’

Why Are People Raving About LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgery can perform miracles – it can give you relief from wearing corrective lenses. It can cure nearsightedness, astigmatism and farsightedness. The procedure is quick and painless, offering almost immediate results. And due to advances in technology and the wide demand for this type of service, LASIK is quite economical.

LASIK eye surgery is now so common that millions of people have decided that it was time to abandon their corrective lenses, once and for all. There are so many LASIK clinics that you’re likely to find one close by, no matter where you live.

With LASIK vision correction procedures, most patients experience new, clear vision that’s potentially near perfect.

There are a great many benefits to LASIK eye surgery -

1) Clear vision
2) Eliminate the need for corrective lenses
3) Easier participation if recreational activities
4) Better vision than when using corrective lenses
5) Boost in self-confidence
6) More career opportunities likely to be available
7) Your appearance will be enhanced
Eliminate infection risks associated with contact lenses
9) Procedure is quick and painless
10) Healing process happens fast
11) No more contact lens discomfort
12) Pass your driver’s license test without glasses
13) Glasses restriction removed from driver’s license
14) Newest technology precisely maps eye contour for near perfect results
15) Overall vision, including peripheral vision improves
16) Quick, almost immediate results
17) Solves most vision problems – nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism

LASIK eye surgery has become more affordable in recent times. The technology has made significant improvements and the process is essentially automated to a large extent. The more progressive LASIK eye surgery centers invest heavily in the latest technology, automating not only the actual LASIK procedure, but also the data gathering process that happens first, during your evaluation. You eyes are examined by a computer and precise contour data is recorded. This data is then used during the surgery procedure to make sure that your resulting vision will be as close to perfection as possible.

Are There Risks Associated With LASIK Eye Surgery

Refractive surgery (LASIK) often produces amazing results, however, as with any medical procedure, there are risks involved. If you’re considering LASIK, it’s important that you are aware of the limitations and possible complications that may arise.

According to FDA reports, nearly 100% of LASIK patients have good results and no complications, but you need to be aware that there are things that can and do go wrong. Some problems include double or triple vision, light distortion so severe that patients can’t drive at night, or eyes so dry that they have to wear goggles when going outside.

Some patients experience infections, inflammation of the eye, redness, blurriness or eye irritation. In many cases, LASIK eye surgery can eliminate your need for corrective lenses, but that’s not always the result. Sometimes, LASIK will drastically reduce your dependence on corrective lenses, but you may still require corrective lenses for some activities, such as reading. It’s best to think of LASIK as reducing your dependency upon corrective lenses – not necessarily as eliminating your need for them.

Diffuse lamellar keratitis is a post operative LASIK risk that happens when a foreign substance, such as a hair or speck of dirt gets trapped behind the corneal flap. If this happens to you, you may experience pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, along with the sensation that something is trapped in your eye. Rubbing will only intensify the problem and may lead to further complications, such as infection or tearing or dislodging of the corneal flap. Diffuse lamellar keratitis usually occurs as the result of the patient not exercising proper precautions during the healing period after LASIK eye surgery.

One of the most common complications of LASIK eye surgery is a slipped flap. The flap that was created during the LASIK procedure may become detached from the rest of the cornea. Most doctors recommend that you go home and sleep for several hours after completing the LASIK procedure in order to allow the cornea to start its healing process. That’s good advice and can substantially reduce your chances of experiencing a slipped flap.

Even without LASIK eye surgery, it’s expected that everyone’s eyes will change slightly with the passage of time – it’s just a natural part of life. After LASIK, your eyes will still follow their natural course of changing with time, so LASIK shouldn’t necessarily be considered a permanent solution. For most people however, their vision will not change enough to require any additional treatments, especially when the original procedure was done to correct for poor distant vision.

The information provided here is not intended to scare you away from LASIK eye surgery, since it has been a blessing to a great many people. For many who have chosen LASIK, it has meant that they are no longer dependent on corrective lenses in order to have good vision. It’s highly recommended that you talk with your doctor about LASIK and how any possible risks or side effects relate to your own personal circumstances.

Are Implantable Contact Lens An Alternative to LASIK Eye Surgery?

Not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. But what if you still want to improve your vision while reducing or eliminating the need for glasses or contacts?

A popular alternative to LASIK eye surgery is ICL, or Implantable Contact Lens, also sometimes referred to as a permanent contact lens. An ICL is a soft lens that is attached to the eye for correcting nearsightedness. An Implanted Contact Lens is intended to be permanent, but it can be replaced if changes are needed in the future. Unlike LASIK eye surgery, the ICL procedure is completely reversible.

There are certain advantages to ICL over LASIK. For example, with LASIK, permanent changes are made to your eye and those changes are something you’ll have to live with. If the LASIK procedure worked out you’re OK, but if it didn’t, you’re stuck with it. In stark contrast, Implantable Contact Lenses can be changed out at any time if corrections are needed.

If you’ve previously worn contact lenses, you already know the hassles of normal contacts – cleaning, soaking, removing and replacing, etc. But with implantable contact lenses, all those frustrations immediately disappear. The implants are permanent and should never require any attention unless your vision changes as you age. Implantable contact lenses provide the same vision improvements as normal temporary contact lenses, but they require none of the attention and maintenance of normal contact lenses.

The ICL procedure is usually done on an outpatient basis and you’ll experience little or no pain. A mild sedative is administered to provide a calming effect and a 1/8 inch incision is made for insertion of the lens. Once inserted, the lens is properly positioned. In almost all cases, sutures are not required to close the incision point. If you’re having the procedure performed on both eyes, they’ll both be completed in a single session. The entire procedure is usually completed within about 30 minutes.

Upon completion of the ICL procedure, you’ll be sent to a ‘post-op’ area for recovery. Once staff members determine that you’re stable, you’ll be sent home to relax for the remainder of the day. You’ll need to return the next day for a follow-up exam, just to make sure that everything is OK.

There may be some mild haziness upon completion of the implantation, but this usually clears itself within a short period of time. Most patients see quick improvements in vision, with about 90% of normal vision restored within the first 24 hours. Normally, your vision on the second day will be good enough to allow you to drive yourself to the examination.

The main issue of concern with implantable contact lenses is the risk of infection. Infection is a serious condition that can result in the loss of vision, so your doctor will take the necessary precautions while performing the procedure.

Implantable contact lenses are a reasonable alternative to LASIK eye surgery for patients who have trouble seeing at a distance. However, ICL does not help you if you need reading glasses.