Improve Your Vision Successfully With Lasik Surgery
Laser in-situ keratomileusis, or LASIK, is a successful surgical treatment that corrects vision in people who suffer from vision defects. This surgical procedure reshapes the cornea or the clear front part of the eye, enabling the light that travels through it to correctly focus on to the retina at the back of the eye.
Preparing For Lasik Eye Surgery
Before undergoing LASIK surgery, your medical history is assessed. This is followed by eye tests that may include measuring thickness of cornea, refraction and pupil dilation. You get briefed on what to expect from the surgery after which an appointment is fixed. Certain precautions have to be taken to prepare for surgery. If you wear contact lenses, then you are advised not to wear them from a specific time before the surgery. Certain medication are prescribed that must be taken before surgery.
What Lasik Surgery Involves
The doctor cuts a thin flap in the cornea with a microkeratome. After peeling back the cornea, the corneal tissue under it is reshaped with an excimer laser. After this, the corneal flap is placed back in position. Local anesthesia is given and the entire procedure takes about ten minutes.
After the surgery, the healing is quick and patients experience better vision almost from the next day. The doctor usually prescribes eye drops to protect the eye from infection and to keep it moist. The doctor also gives you a schedule for follow up.
There are several benefits of LASIK eye surgery. Some of them are:
· It is successful in a majority of patients, restoring their normal vision quickly, within twenty four hours
· It is painless
· Recovery after surgery is fast. No stitches or bandages are needed
· Eliminates the need for corrective eyewear
· Even after years of LASIK eye surgery, corrective adjustments can be made
- LASIK also has a few shortcomings:
- Corneal changes cannot be reversed after LASIK
- Any correction must be through LASIK eye surgery only
- The procedure is expensive
- There are chances of permanent vision damage depending on the surgeon performing the operation
- You could lose your best vision after a year of surgery
In spite of the above, the success rate is far greater than the risk factor. There is the likelihood of side effects like a little discomfort and dry eyes initially after the surgery. Some people tend to see halos around the images and also have problems driving in the dark.
The US FDA, however, approves the procedure and endorses that there are no long-term side effects of LASIK eye surgery. The success rate is quite high even though it depends on a few factors like the type of instruments and lasers used by your surgeon, the experience level of the surgeon treating you, and the type of LASIK surgery. Rather than basing the decision to go in for LASIK surgery on cost factor alone, it is important to compare different eye care clinics. Since LASIK surgery is permanent and can influence your vision for life, it makes sense to look at all the options available.
Beth Howard
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