What Is Lasik Laser Eye Surgery?

LASIK laser eye surgery is an intricate surgery procedure used to treat all degrees of nearsightedness. The doctor who performs it uses a small scalpel to cut a flap of the cornea, then removes part of the underneath tissue with a laser and put the flap back in its place.

In LASIK eye surgery, the skills of the physician or surgeon are more important than in the PRK procedure, where the computer does most of the work. This is the reason why it is mandatory to find a high-skilled and experienced surgeon who has done several such procedures before to perform it. The success of this procedure depends mainly on the doctor.

Advantages Of LASIK Eye Surgery

Most physicians agree that this kind of eye surgery is very appropriate for correcting very severe vision problems. It also allows a faster recovery than PRK and other procedures. In addition, patients who have undergone a LASIK laser eye surgery can see accurate enough to drive and read within just a week or so.

Does LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Have Risks?

For a limited number of patients, LASIK laser eye surgery can have some negative side effects, which include over or under-correction, scarring of the cornea, astigmatism, corneal infections, lower contrast sensitivity or problems with driving at night.

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery versus PRK & RK

There are physicians that still consider other surgical procedures as well. Some patients who had previously decided on LASIK laser eye surgery are often advised to undergo a so called PRK or RK procedure instead. After studying all the options they have and consider the possible side effects, many of them eventually agree on other methods.

Many clinical centers, while they do perform LASIK laser eye surgery in many situations, they claim that other procedures or methods are in some cases more suitable. For instance, some physicians believe that for a small number of patients with low or moderately nearsighted eye conditions, a RK (radial keratotomy) is more appropriate.

RK is an earlier eye correction surgery procedure that does not need an Excimer laser. The incisions are made radically along the exterior portion of the cornea with a hand-held scalpel. Such procedures are intended to help reshape the curvature of the cornea and allow light rays that enter the eye to focus properly on the retina. The success of the method depends on the length and number of these incisions. Some surgeons use this type of eye surgery for a small number of people with a disorder called mild myopia.

In contrast, other physicians and surgeons consider LASIK laser eye surgery as the best option whatsoever. While they do mention other options to their patients, such as PRK or RK, they don't recommend them in favor of these procedures.

Others claim that a RK procedure involves penetrating around 90 percent of the cornea, which can have negative impacts on the structure of the eye. Moreover, once you have undergone a RK surgery, you can never repeat it or have a PRK. This is the reason why some doctors would never recommend this method to anyone.

About the Author:

Dean Brooks is an internet publisher who likes to publish eye surgery and related information. You can read more at the website http://www.eyesurgery101.net

What Is Lasik Eye Surgery?

In the last decade or so, LASIK eye surgery has witnessed a phenomenal growth in its popularity. As of now, millions of people are choosing LASIK to meet their eye surgery needs. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that LASIK eye surgery is still a relatively new process about which a lot still needs to be known. In this article, we will tell you what LASIK eye surgery is and why you must ensure that the LASIK eye surgery you are getting is of high quality conducted by professionals.

First, a few basic facts:

- LASIK eye surgery (Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) is a procedure that is used to modify the cornea and allow a patient to see without the use of glasses or other visual aids. It can correct problems like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (misshapen cornea). While not all patients may experience a complete restoration of vision, they can certainly see much better than before

- LASIK eye surgery involves minimal or no pain and requires much less recovery time than other eye surgery procedures like photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)

- Dr Lucio Buratto and Dr. Ionnis Pallikaris jointly developed the LASIK eye surgery procedure in 1990. They based their technique on two older eye surgery procedures – keratomileusis and PRK. These surgical procedures involved more complications and brought about less than perfect results, so when LASIK offered fewer risks and better results, it proved an immediate success. In 1991, LASIK was twice performed officially by Dr. Stephen Slade, in Europe and later in the US

THE PROCESS

- Before you undergo LASIK eye surgery, you will be instructed to discontinue the use of contact lenses for 1 to 4 weeks prior to surgery to allow the cornea to return to its original shape

- At the start of the surgery, you will be administered a mild anesthetic, usually orally, and numbing eye drops, which will eliminate pain in most cases, though some patients still complain of some discomfort

- A device called a microkeratome is attached to a suction ring placed on your eye, the blade of which is used to cut a thin flap on the surface of the cornea. The flap is folded back, exposing a layer of tissue called the stroma, which is inspected for debris and dried

- You will then be asked to focus on a fixed spot as your doctor begins the laser, cutting and removing corneal tissue based on the measurements taken at the initial examination. The flap is then repositioned and left to heal. Because no stitches are used, you will be required to wear an eye patch to prevent rubbing, irritation, and pressure that might disturb the healing process

- Both eyes can be operated on at the same time if you are healthy enough and have enough recovery time. In some cases, a surgeon will recommend that the patient receive monovision treatment, which is the correction of only one eye. LASIK eye surgery typically takes about 5 to 10 minutes per eye

WAVEFRONT LASIK: NEW TECHNOLOGY ON THE BLOCK

The newest technology in LASIK is the wavefront laser. The first of these types of lasers received FDA approval in 2002. Wavefront technology sends a wave of light to the retina. The light then bounces back to a sensor, which measures the irregularities of the cornea and produces a 3-D map of the eye’s visual system.
The data from the sensor is then translated into a mathematical formula that the doctor uses to program the computer that controls the refractive laser. After wavefront LASIK, 90-94% of patients enjoy 20/20 vision or better as opposed to 80% with traditional LASIK eye surgery.

LASIK COMPLICATIONS

During surgery, complications related to the cutting or hinging of the flap occur in less than 0.5% of patients. Other complications occurring at less than a 1% rate include the development of irregular astigmatism owing to scarring, healing, or beam problems, infection, or other vision problems (halos around lights, blurry night vision), surgery performed off the center of the pupil owing to surgeon error or the inability of the patient to focus on a fixed point.

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE?

This can vary depending on your doctor and the type of laser used. The minimum requirements are that a patient must be at least 18 years old and has had no drastic change in vision over the past year. For patients with severe refractive errors LASIK eye surgery may not be an option, but almost anyone with stable and healthy eyes can be treated with some type of surgery.

COST OF LASIK

Plenty has been said about the cost of LASIK eye surgery. Some clinics, for example, may claim that they can perform the surgery at a starting cost of $299 per eye. But you should realize at once that the amount is far too low and that no one actually gets the surgery at that cost. On average, the cost of LASIK eye surgery is about $1,700.

About the Author:

Author - Marcus Grant http://www.health-articles.net http://www.custom-lasik.org