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Lasik Procedure Tips
Are You Right for LASIK?
Is LASIK surgery right for you? Ask yourself these questions to find out.
-Are you healthy and have no medical conditions that should interfere with healing?
-Are you ready to have your nearsightedness, astigmatism or farsightedness corrected?
-Are you ready for a minimal recovery time? Generally less than 24 hours.
-Are you ready for any refractive errors to be corrected?
-Are you ready to participate in outdoor activities or sports without worrying about your glasses or contacts?
-Are you ready to eliminate the expense that comes with contact lenses or glasses?
-Are you ready for any potential side effects or complications that may come with LASIK?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may be the right candidate for LASIK. Please consult with a laser eye surgeon for more information.
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Advantages of PRK Laser Eye Surgery
The-Lasik-Directory.com Tip: Photorefractive keratotomy, also known as PRK, is a form of laser eye surgery in which the cornea is reshaped via the beam of an ultraviolet light used on the surface of the cornea. This is in contrast to traditional LASIK in which the infrared laser is used below the surface of the cornea. This difference yields some advantages to this type of procedure.
The advantages of PRK laser eye surgery include no potential for complications which develop as a result of cutting or reattaching the corneal flap, the use of less corneal tissue, the procedure is quicker than LASIK and the cost associated with PRK is typically lower than the cost associated with LASIK surgery.
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Dry Eyes and LASIK
If you have dry eyes, a condition that is typical of women in their 40s, you may have heard that those tear-less eyes will keep you from having LASIK. It's true that doctors are wary of LASIK vision correction if your eyes burn, sting, make excessive tears, or reject contacts. Dry eye syndrome may hold your vision back from the results you hope to achieve.
If you already know you have dry eye syndrome, talk to your LASIK doctor before considering LASIK eye surgery. Worsening of dry eye syndrome is one of the LASIK risks.
Your ophthalmologist can test you for dry eye syndrome if you're not sure you have it, or if you think it's been cured with eyedrops. Dry-eye syndrome is never cured, and can be worsened by wearing contacts, for example.
Ask your LASIK surgeon to perform the Schirmer test, in which a special paper placed inside your eyelids for five minutes measures your tear production. A result of 10 mm of moisture on the filter paper in five minutes is normal.
According to Medline, the Schirmer test may not identify dry eye syndrome in some patients, so ask for two of the more advanced tests:
* fluorescein eye drops during the slit-lamp test * a test for lactoferrin--low production of lactoferrin is linked to dry-eye syndrome.
If you have dry-eye syndrome, it may be a sign of lupus or other autoimmune disorders that would not make you a good candidate for LASIK.
A caveat: Some surgeons have performed LASIK on patients with dry-eye syndrome. Bear in mind that should your surgeon approve you for LASIK vision correction, you will probably need artificial tears to relieve your condition.
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LASIK Eye Surgery Procedure
The-Lasik-Directory.com Tip: Many prospective patients might be surprised to learn the entire LASIK eye surgery can be completed within 15 minutes. Even more surprising is the fact that the laser used in the procedure is in use for less than one minute for each eye. During this time the cornea can be reshaped in a manner which will sufficiently correct the patient’s vision.
Although LASIK eye surgery should preferably always begin with a consultation in which the surgeon examines the patient, learns about the patient’s medical history and takes measurements required for the completion of the surgery, the actual surgical procedure is relatively simple and straightforward.
The first step in the LASIK eye surgery procedure is for the surgeon to cut a flap in the surface of the patient’s cornea. This is done with the use of a handheld blade and the flap is then peeled back to expose the cornea. The laser is then employed to remove corneal tissue to correct abnormalities which adversely affect the patient’s vision. This part of the procedure happens relatively quickly and is typically complete in less than one minute. Once the cornea has been reshaped, the flap is replaced in the original position and adheres to the surface without the need for any type of binding material.
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LASIK Eye Surgery and Children
LASIK eye surgery is not recommended for most children and teenagers, no matter what their eye problems. Most reputable surgeons will not perform LASIK vision correction on patients who have not reached their late teens.
The reason for this is simple. The eye changes as we mature, and does not reach a stable state until our late teens or early 20s. If the LASIK surgery is performed too soon, patients run the risk of having to have more surgery when their eyes change.
Most eye doctors recommend waiting until a patient has had the same glasses or contact lens prescription for two years before considering LASIK vision correction because of the risks of correcting too soon.
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Tips for Learning about Laser Eye Surgery
The-Lasik-Directory.com Tip: Anyone who is considering undergoing the process of LASIK surgery should take adequate time to do their research and learn about laser eye surgery before making a decision to undergo any particular procedure. There are a number of ways a patient can learn more about these procedures, including independent research and consulting with eye care professionals.
Independent research is one of the methods most patients use when they begin the process of learning about LASIK surgery. This may include talking to friends or family members who have undergone laser eye surgery, reading books or published articles on the subject or searching for information online. With this type of research, it is important to ensure you are using information which is both accurate and up-to-date. The best way to do this is to rely on information published recently from a reliable source. Determining whether or not a website is reputable can be difficult, but patients can avoid the potential for finding misinformation online by using websites run by the government, such as the Food and Drug Administration website.
Consulting with an eye care professional is another excellent way to learn about laser eye surgery. Through these consultations the patient has the opportunity to ask questions directly and seek out opinions from professionals in the industry who are aware of which procedures would be best for you.
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LASIK Vision Correction
LASIK treats three types of vision problems:
* Myopia (nearsightedness), which causes blurred distance vision. * Hyperopia (farsightedness), which causes blurred vision of objects close to the eyes. * Astigmatism, in which the cornea distorts the image.
There are some conditions which cannot be treated with LASIK eye surgery, and some people whose eyes do not make them good candidates for LASIK vision correction. If you have dry eye disease; if you are pregnant, nursing, or planning a pregnancy; or if your eye defects are extreme, a good eye surgeon may recommend another form of vision correction for you.
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What to Expect During LASIK Surgery
During the surgery, you will lie down. Your eye will be numbed with special drops, and a device called a lid speculum will be placed on your eye to keep it open.
Then a suction ring will be placed over your eye, exerting pressure to provide suction to the cornea to keep fluids from getting in the way of the surgery. You will probably feel somewhat uncomfortable during this part of the surgery.
A tiny blade called a microkeratome is affixed to the suction ring, and the surgeon will use this to cut a little flap in your cornea. Then the suction ring is removed, and the doctor pulls back the flap. Your vision will probably be blurry at this point.
The surgeon will then use the laser to perform the adjustments needed to your cornea. During this part of the procedure, you'll be asked to stare at a light. This is not the laser itself, just a way to keep your eyes from moving around while the surgeon is trying to work.
The entire procedure takes about 30 minutes. At the end, you will be given a shield to wear over your eye to protect it while the flap heals. It's important to wear this for the entire time specified so that you don't accidentally rub your eye or press against it in your sleep.
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How LASIK Surgery Works
A camera has a lens -- a curved piece of glass that helps define and focus the image in front of it. Your eye has a lens, too -- a membrane called the cornea, which curves over the top of the eye and helps you focus.
If that membrane is perfectly formed, then you have 20/20 vision. For most people, though, the cornea is slightly misshapen in one direction or another, delivering images that are blurred or making it harder to focus.
In LASIK surgery, a specialized laser is used to make precise corrections to the shape of the cornea.
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How to Prepare for LASIK
A person choosing to have LASIK needs to be prepared for the following:
-You must have a complete eye exam that consists of checking for any ocular abnormalities.
-You must have had an exam that consisted of a refractive error measurement.
-Your pupil and cornea should have been measured and a map of your corneas made.
-You should have had a test to determine how your tears function.
-You should have a conversation with your laser eye surgeon about health conditions, family history, medical information, your lifestyle and what you are expecting to receive by having LASIK.
These are just some of the things to do in order to be properly prepared for LASIK. Please speak with your eye surgery center for more information in order to be completely prepared.
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LASIK Surgery Simplified
Laser in-situ keratomileusis is the procedure commonly referred to as LASIK. Simply stated, LASIK surgery is a procedure to correct a patient’s vision by reshaping the cornea. During the procedure a flap is cut in the cornea and an infrared laser is used to reshape the cornea to correct any abnormalities which may have a negative impact on the patient’s vision. This explanation explains the basics of the procedure, but anyone seriously considering undergoing this procedure should do adequate research to ensure they fully understand all of their treatment options, as well as the risks involved.
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LASIK Information to Consider
Before committing to undergo a laser surgery to correct your vision, it is very important to carefully consider a great deal of information pertaining to whether or not you are an ideal candidate, the benefits of the procedure, the risks of the procedure, finding the best surgeon and understanding the different options available. All of this LASIK information should be important in the decision making process because without this information the patient cannot make the best possible decision.
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Unbiased LASIK Eye Surgery Information
The Internet and advertisements can cause a great deal of confusion for those who are seeking LASIK eye surgery information. Prospective laser eye surgery patients who want to learn as much about the procedure as possible might be frustrated when they find conflicting information online or advertisements which tout one procedure as superior to others. This frustration stems from a belief that none of these sources can be trusted fully.
Fortunately for these prospective laser eye surgery patients, there is one well known website they can rely on for accurate and unbiased information on the subject of LASIK eye surgery. This website is the Food and Drug Administration website. Here readers will find a wealth of accurate information which is presented in a straightforward manner without an attempt to make one procedure look superior to another.
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Types of LASIK Procedures
There are three main types of LASIK procedures available for patients, each with its own benefits and indications, as well as contraindications. These three procedures are known as PRK, LASEK and Epi-LASIK. PRK is a procedure which involved scraping surface cells off the cornea and using a laser to reshape the cornea and correct abnormalities which cause visual problems. LASEK surgery is very similar to LASIK with one important difference. This difference is the thickness of the corneal flap which is cut. During LASEK a finer blade is used to reduce the thickness of the blade. Epi-LASIK is also very similar to traditional LASIK, but again the corneal flap is much thinner than the flap cut during traditional LASIK.
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Laser Eye Surgery Preparations
There are certain precautions which a patient should take before undergoing laser eye surgery to ensure the best possible outcome. The most important part of the preparation for laser eye surgery should begin with adequate research to select a highly qualified surgeon to perform the chosen procedure. Once this has been accomplished, the patient can often rely on the surgeon to provide information on how the patient can prepare for the surgery.
One example of these types of preparations include, ceasing to wear contact lenses prior to the surgery. This is important because wearing contact lenses can distort the shape of the eye temporarily. Therefore soft contact lenses should not be worn for two weeks prior to the procedure, rigid gas permeable lenses should not be worn for three weeks prior to the procedure and hard lenses should not be worn for four weeks prior to the procedure.
Other laser eye surgery preparations include removing makeup and ceasing to use lotions. Patients should also make arrangements to have a friend or family member pick them up from the surgery facility as the patient will not be able to drive a vehicle immediately after surgery. In addition, patients should also follow any restrictions imposed by your surgeon.
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Contraindications and LASIK
An absolute contraindication in LASIK means that you have a medical condition, or health related problems, that prohibits you from having LASIK eye surgery. Your surgeon should and will not perform eye surgery on you if you have an absolute contraindication for having LASIK.
The other type of contraindication is a relative one. A relative contraindication means your surgeon will need to take special measures and precautions during your surgery and your treatment. It also means your results may end up less predictable than those who receive LASIK without a relative contraindication.
