All About Lasik

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 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 surgery for patients who have trouble seeing at a distance. However, ICL does not help you if you need reading glasses.

Carson Danfield
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/icl-implantable-contact-lens-an-alternative-to-lasik-478636.html

Read excerpts from peer-reviewed medical journal articles which demonstrate that the LASIK flap never heals, exposing all LASIK patients to lifelong risk of late traumatic flap dislocation and increased risk of corneal infection. LASIK surgeons do not disclose that the flap never heals to prospective patients. LASIK complications, LASIK problems, LASIK risks, LASIK side effects.

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Would love to hear your opinions /experiences.

I had laser eye correction surgery three years ago, and I LOVE it. I had had glasses from the age of 4, and couldn’t wear contacts, so I was just amazed at being able to see.
I had PRK surgery, which is a predecessor to LASIK. In LASIK, they pull back a layer of cornea and shoot the laser onto the eye, but in PRK, they laser through the cornea. With PRK it takes longer to heal, but it was necessary for me because I had had cornea injuries. So I can’t tell you what it’s like to have the cornea pulled back, but I will say a few things about corrective surgery in general:

Be picky about who you have do it. I don’t know where you live, but I’m in Boston, so I was able to have a man do my surgery who’s one of the best in the world at laser surgery…which is awesome. It might be worth it to go to a nearby city to a doctor with a good reputation, who’s done lots of LASIK and eye surgery procedures if possible. Make sure you feel comfortable with his or her demeanor and level of professionalism. Ask the people working in the office if they have had eye surgery, and if yes, who performed it. If everyone in his or her office had it done somewhere else, or hesitates to say that they WOULD have it done by this doctor, that’s a sign that you should go elsewhere.

Talk to the doctor about what will happen if it doesn’t take. Some people’s eyes continue to deteriorate even after a successful surgery. My doctor had a policy that if I went to see him once a year for five years, if my eyes got worse within ten years he would do a touch-up for free. Since I was paying $2500 for the procedure, it was a big deal to know my eyesight was guaranteed.

Don’t worry! If you are comfortable with your doctor, and your doctor is experienced, things will go fine. As to the procedure itself: it is kind of weird. Did you ever see "A Clockwork Orange" where they have a little device that holds the man’s eye open and they drop little eye drops into it to keep it moist? They use that device to keep your eye open, so you can’t blink and screw it up, and in my procedure they had a red light I had to stare at while they were lasering me. They lay you back in a reclining chair, and you look up at the light and the asering device. I have never, ever concentrated so hard on a light, because I was worried about moving my eye and screwing things up, but it didn’t take long at all, before I knew it it was over. They gave me a Valium before I had it done, so I was actually not too anxious, and they put numbing drops in your eye, so it doesn’t hurt at the time at all. Again, I’m not sure about LASIK, but I had a few days of healing for my eye, and they gave me Tylenol with codeine to help with the pain. I could definitely feel when it was time for me to take another pain pill, but the pain was completely bearable. It’s nothing to really fear.

Now I have perfect vision in both my eyes, and I have to say, I am so so so so happy that I got my eye surgery. I hope you can face your fears an get it, too. Good luck!

Im planning to have lasik surgery next month. can anyone state all the risks after surgery or after several years have passed? by the way, im planning to get it done in Lasik Vision Institute in Houston.

Normally, LASIK is safe, but you may experience mild blurry vision within the first week. After that, you should see more clearly, but some complication do occur. Its best to consult an opthamalogist or just wiki it for full details. Sorry I couldnt give more.

I’ve been looking into Lasik eye surgery to correct my vision. I’d like to know the average cost for this procedure. I’d also like to know risks, benefits, etc. The more info, the better. Thanks.

LASIK will almost certainly reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses, however, there is no certainty and there can be no guarantee that you will be able to achieve perfect vision without glasses. You have 90 to 95% chance of passing the vision test to get a drivers license without glasses (i.e 20/40 vision) and therefore 90 to 95% chance that you will be able to legally drive without glasses after LASIK (source: http://www.agingeye.net/lasik/lasik.php)

Serious complications from refractive surgery are rare, as evidenced by the low rate of loss of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity. However, before undergoing any refractive procedure, you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits based on your own personal value system, and try to avoid being influenced by friends that have had the procedure or doctors encouraging you to do so. Remember that, even though rare, complications do occur.

Some patients lose lines of vision on the vision chart that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery as a result of treatment. Loss of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity of more than two lines is noted in just under 1·0% of patients (FDA data)

Results are generally not as good in patients with very large refractive errors of any type. You should discuss your expectations with your doctor and realize that you may still require glasses or contacts after the surgery.

For some farsighted patients, results may diminish with age. If you are farsighted, the level of improved vision you experience after surgery may decrease with age. This can occur if your manifest refraction (a vision exam with lenses before dilating drops) is very different from your cycloplegic refraction (a vision exam with lenses after dilating drops).

Some patients develop debilitating visual symptoms. Some patients develop glare, halos, and/or double vision that can seriously affect nighttime vision. Even with good vision on the vision chart, some patients do not see as well in situations of low contrast, such as at night or in fog, after treatment as compared to before treatment.

Please explain where, and why. I am in the market to get this done this or next month and my eyes are NOT something I am willing to risk on any random doctors office!

I got Lasik last winter and haven’t had any problems. It took me ages to get up the nerves to get the surgery done though, now I am glad I did. I spent hours at the clinic simply asking quetions about how the surgery work (Lasik vs PRK) and what my expectations were. My Arizona eye doctor was very comforting. Try visiting your local California laser vision clinic and make an appointment for a free consultation. http://www.locallaservisioncenters.com/California-Laser-Vision-Correction.html

Good Luck

http://www.visianinfo.com
Upon learning about dry eye and other LASIK complications, this myopic patient explores the benefits of phakic IOLs. With IOLs, no eye tissue is removed, and no flap is cut in the cornea. To avoid the risk of LASIK complications, she chooses Visian IOLs, and is extremely happy with her decision.

STAAR Surgical Company
1911 Walker Avenue
Monrovia, California 91016
Phone: 1-800-352-7842

For more information please visit: http://www.visianinfo.com

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Technorati Tags: complications, contact, correction, dry, eyes, ICL, implantable, LASIK, lenses, myopia, PRK, problems, severe, suffer, Visian, vision

As with anything in life, there are complications and risks. Dry eyes after Lasik is one of the risks associated with the procedure of Lasik eye surgery. If you experience dry eyes after Lasik, you know how it can be to have that type of symptom get in the way of your daily life. With the right medication, perhaps some eye drops and pills, you can overcome the dry eyes after Lasik and get on the way to recovery in no time. Without the recovery elements in place, however, you might be in for more complications as the results that come from dry eyes could get in the way of the natural healing process of your eyes.

Your eyes take time to recover and recuperate from the Lasik procedure. With dry eyes, you may experience a delay in that recovery time and may need to have some further assistance in getting to the point at which your eyes can recover from the procedure. As you learn more about the procedure and about dry eyes after the procedure, you can start talking to your doctor before the procedure about what to do if you experience dry eyes after Lasik and what to do after you cure your dry eyes. There is a policy and a procedure to follow that most doctors outline before any procedure of this type. Make sure you go over the procedure with your doctor.

Working Through It

A lot of doctors will not operate on someone that they feel is a high risk for dry eyes. If you have experienced dry eyes before you head in for a Lasik procedure, the doctor will likely disqualify you from any Lasik treatments or any other refractive procedures for your eyes. With this knowledge in mind, the doctor can make the best possible decision for your eyes and for your health. This is what is best for you and while you may feel that you would rather have the eye operation, the doctor is in charge of risk assessment and your health primarily.

It is common to experience dry eyes after Lasik. The important issue about the experience is to what degree and for what duration, so consider this when you talk to your doctor. The degree of dry eyes in most cases is not significant enough to impede your activity or cause any other complications. Most dry eye symptoms will resolve themselves automatically with a small period of time, so patience is your best ally. If that is not the case, you may want to consult your physician for assistance.

Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/experiencing-dry-eyes-after-lasik-68273.html

Well i belive that they have to open the flap then go in. My mom got it done and it went totaly wrong . Because her conea was disenergerating and she works in lasik….so its harder to treat your inner eye with an abnormal cornea.

I don’t exactly remember what number astigmatism, I remember hearing a 5 somewhere.. Please help

yes, very much