Posts Tagged ‘vision correction’

Questions about Lasik eye surgery

Many people that wear glasses or contact lenses have listened to the claims of how Lasik can give them perfect vision.  They have also heard great Lasik success stories, as well as stories from people that were not sure they had given the decision enough thought.  This guide lists the most common questions asked by people who are considering Lasik vision correction, and answers given by reputable physicians.

The first and most important question asked about Lasik is, not surprisingly, “Is Lasik safe?”  The answer is that it is normally quite a safe procedure, with success rates above 95 percent for good, experienced Lasik surgeons, and 90 percent average over all physicians that perform the Lasik procedure.  This statistic about Lasik success assumes that the patient is a good candidate for Lasik surgery.  The requirements have some specific details and should be gone over with the physician that will perform the Lasik procedure.

It is a very good idea to ask the Lasik physician which patients he has declined to perform the Lasik procedure on, to make sure that the particular physician has and operates with good standards.  Any Lasik practitioner that tries to imply that everyone that comes in to his office is a good candidate for Lasik vision correction should be viewed with some skepticism.  In any case, it is wise to interview several different physicians that perform the Lasik procedure before deciding on one.

A second frequently asked question about Lasik is “What are the possible complications from Lasik surgery?”  Common side effects are starbursts or halos when looking at a light, sensitivity to light and difficulty with glare and night vision, and some sensation that a foreign body is in the eye.  Most of these effects will pass within a few days after the Lasik procedure.  Between 1 and 3 percent of patients will have a lasting side effect such as halos or some vision fluctuation.

It is a very good idea to discuss your particular situation with the Lasik physician to determine if you might be prone to any complications.  There are also variants of the standard Lasik procedure, one of which uses additional waveforms to map out an individual eye, or techniques that only use lasers rather than a scalpel and a laser.

One question we all hesitate to ask is “Will the Lasik procedure be painful?”  Since our eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, it is comforting to know that having Lasik vision correction is usually nearly painless.  There is often some mild discomfort after the procedure, but this is effectively controlled with medication.

“Will I have 20/20 vision once the Lasik correction is done?”  Though many patients do get nearly perfect vision, not all patients have their vision totally corrected.  You can definitely expect to have improved vision and minimized dependency on any glasses or contacts.

“What is the cost and how do I pay?”  A typical Lasik surgeon charges between $500 and $2500 per eye, depending on the patient and the surgeon.  However, a Lasik physician should be selected on experience level and track record, not on the lowest price.  Insurance rarely covers the cost of Lasik, but many Lasik centers have a type of financing program offered to their clients.

Consider Lasik eye surgery as one way to significantly improve the quality of your life.

Pros and Cons for Lasik with IntraLase

Those who have had a Lasik technique done, and those who are investigating having a Lasik vision correction procedure, know that the first step of that procedure is to create a small flap in order for the Lasik physician to reshape the cornea.  This flap is created by the surgeon, and can be done using a small blade or using a laser.  Using the laser is generally called a bladeless Lasik procedure, or IntraLasik, or IntraLase.

For those that are considering a Lasik procedure, this review should be helpful in order to determine the pros and cons of the Lasik procedure using IntraLase.  One comment to be made is that the risks and complications possible using the small blade are well known and documented, since that procedure has been done for years and has a database of millions of patients.

Granted, 90% or more of all Lasik patients have no serious side effects or even minor lasting side effects, but it is true that a large part of the complications from Lasik procedures stem from the flap made with the microkeratome blade.  Over the years additional techniques have been developed to further minimize such problems from the standard Lasik procedure.

The introduction of the laser to create the flap is a new frontier in the Lasik procedure.  The laser is used in combination with state of the art software to create a flap of a pre-programmed size at a specific depth and position.  During this process, a soft suction ring holds the eye in place, but this causes no discomfort to the Lasik client.  Generally the only effect noticed by most Lasik patients is a dimming of vision in the eye being worked on for the duration of the treatment of that eye.

The use of the laser creates very small bubbles of water and carbon dioxide that serve as a good buffer between the flap and the cornea itself, and so this Lasik procedure conserves the eye very carefully.  The whole process of creating a flap for one eye takes approximately one minute.

The advantages of using a laser to make the flap for the Lasik vision correction procedure is that there is no way that the cornea can be abraded, nor any chance of the wrong size or depth of flap, since it is all pre-programmed with Lasik software.  The exact vertical edges of the flap produced using this Lasik procedure help healing, and also decrease the possibility that the flap might slip or wrinkle if the eye is accidentally bumped or rubbed during the healing process.

There are very few cons to using a laser to create the flap during a Lasik procedure.  One is that the process takes a bit longer, up to a minute.  A second reason is that the low level suction during this phase of the Lasik operation does result in eye redness for about 5% of the patients, but this goes away within a few days.  The last reason is that there is still a difference in cost between intralase eye surgery and the traditional Lasik eye surgery, but hopefully that will decrease as the years progress.

Is LASIK Surgery an option for you?

Many patients are very satisfied with the improved quality of life that they experience after LASIK Surgery. Read on to decide whether LASIK Surgery is right for you. 

The different types of LASIK Surgery

There are two basic types of surgery: Standard LASIK and Custom LASIK. With either type, the preparation work and post-operative procedures are similar. The difference between the procedures involves the customization of the laser.

Standard LASIK

Prior to the scheduled procedure date, the eye surgeon meets with patient to re-test for certain eye problems and diseases. When it’s confirmed that the patient meets the requirements, a procedure date is set.

On the day of the procedure, the eye doctor may perform another corneal topography to confirm that nothing has changed that would require changing the procedure. Three types of eye drops are then administered. The drops anesthetize the eye, protect the eye from post-operative inflammation and protect the eye from infection.

Next, the patient reclines and the laser is positioned overhead with the eye surgeon above it. To remove the flap, the patient’s eye must first be stabilized. The eye is kept from blinking by placing it into a restrainer. Suction is administered to the eyeball and the microkeratome makes one swift slice across the top of the cornea. The resulting flap (which should still be hinged to the eye) is pulled away with tiny tweezers.

The laser then emits a pre-determined number of laser pulses to remove the excess tissue, a process which takes literally seconds. The flap is pulled back into place and saline solution clears the eye of any debris. The eye is covered and the procedure is finished unless the other eye is receiving a LASIK Surgery treatment.

Custom LASIK Surgery

In standard LASIK, the computer inside the laser determines the number and location of laser pulses based solely on the patient’s prescription. With custom LASIK, the eye surgeon creates a three-dimensional image of the eye. The image results are then fed into the laser’s computer and the patient receives a laser treatment that is truly customized to that eye.

Risks and complications

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with LASIK Surgery. The procedure may under- or over-treat the eye. Under-treatments can be corrected with additional surgery however over treatment generally results in the patient needing to continue wearing corrective lenses. Loss of vision or compromised vision, especially at night, are other risks. Dry eye syndrome can develop. And vision that has been surgically corrected may decline over time. Another serious risk involves using an inexperienced ophthalmologist.

Tips on selecting a LASIK Surgery surgeon

Get referrals from people you trust and then make arrangements to interview several candidates.

Make the most of the pre-procedure consultation. Prepare a list of questions to ask each surgeon and record the answers. It’s important to understand what care the ophthalmologist intends to provide during all stages of surgery: before, during and afterwards as well as all costs.

Remember that low cost doesn’t mean top quality. Your eyesight is far too valuable to allow cost to be the determining factor.