Wearing glasses or contact lenses all the time can be really undesirable at times. If you are wishing to see without them LASIK eye surgery might be a good option. However, before getting one you will need to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. In this article, you can find accurate and helpful insights about LASIK eye surgery with the hope to help you form an informed decision and overcome your fears prior to your procedure. With fine-tuned surgical skills and time-tested technology available today, LASIK procedure is perhaps one of the safest eye treatments available. Also, we highly believe that its benefits far outweighs the potential risks.
LASIK Eye Surgery – An Overview
LASIK is an abbreviation of Laser in Situ Keratomileusis that simply means using an equipment (laser) underneath the patient’s corneal flap in order to reshape the cornea (keratomileusis). The surgeon will typically folds back the flap then remove the corneal tissue using the excimer laser. Then the flap will be laid back in place to cover the area wherein the tissue was removed. While laser is often desirable by doctors because of its precision for the procedure, many patients are attracted to choose this type of treatment because of its significantly fewer complications compared to other eye treatments available.
LASIK eye surgery is performed in order to correct astigmatism, farsightedness and nearsightedness. For patients with nearsightedness condition, the main goal of the procedure is to flatten its too-steep cornea. For those woth farsightedness, a steeoer cornea should be achieved while smoothing an irregular into its normal shape is the aim for patients with astigmatism.
LASIK Eye Procedure – The Preparation
If you are one of those many people who are considering LASIK eye procedure, the first step should be choosing a good LASIK surgeon. Everything will start with proper medical evaluation whether LASIK is really right for you. The initial examination will include checking your past and present medical and your eye conditions. Your previous surgeries are also taken into account as well as the medicines you took which may have affected your vision or surgery. Also, it is very important to mention the medication allergies you have. Your eye structure and general prescription are carefully considered in order to help determine the best procedure that suits you.
Expect that the doctor will discuss the risks, benefits and alternative surgery for your eye condition. Also the doctor should explain the things you will need to expect before, during and after the LASIK eye surgery. During this time it is highly important that you should raise all the questions you wanted to ask to your surgeon. Ideally, the doctor should be very much willing to answer your questions with all honesty and even provide important handouts for you to review and further understand the process. Then you will be provided with a form, you will need to sign an informed consent form.
What is your surgeon Looking for during the Evaluation?
The eye doctor will look for the potential risk factors prior to the actual surgery. Commonly, patients with extremely high eyeglass prescription are not recommended for LASIK surgery since there would be a need to remove too much corneal tissue and it highly demands to be safely performed. Patients with very thin corneas could also be at high risk as it can excessively weaken after the surgery. For this case, other procedures such as surface ablation could be more appropriate. Patients who possess dry eye symptoms may not be ideal for LASIK surgery. Dry eye symptoms such as redness, tearing and burning, though there are many post care available, may be worsen after LASIK surgery.
During the surgery, it is expected the the surgeon will perform the procedure within 30 minutes for both eyes. The patient will typically be taken to a surgical suite and into the reclining chair or bed. The surgeon will then attach the laser system to a large machine and computer screen, the patient will be positioned underneath the laser where numbing eye drops are applied. After the surgery, patients will not be allowed to drive, arranging a transportation beforehand is therefore highly required. As soon as the process is finished, you will feel itch, burn and irritated however it is highly recommended not to rub your eyes under any circumstances. In order to ease these undesirable sensations, you could use copious artificial tears. Your doctor will also recommend you to buy and take a pain reliever in some instances when you feel increased discomfort. In most cases, you will need ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs.
LASIK is an outpatient procedure, you will not be asked to stay at the clinic overnight. Before leaving the clinic, you should ask your surgeon how long you should wait to start participating in activities such as jogging and walking. Typically, patients will need to rest for about three days following the procedure to start low impact activities again to avoid possible eye trauma. You will be asked to avoid exposing yourself to possible eye infection like going in hot tubs, pools and lakes during the healing process. Creams, makeup, lotions and any perfumes should not be used during these times as well as they can commonly cause buildup on your eyelids which can develop risk for infection.
Although most patients claimed that they are already having better visions after just very few days of their surgery, you may still experience hazy or blurry vision. Mild burning sensations may also occur from time to time, special eye drops which your doctor usually recommends will help ease the pain, keep your eyes moist and prevent infection. It is highly important to keep your eyes lubricated with prescribed drops and artificial tears to protect your vision.
A regular visit for the first six months from the day of your LASIK surgery is often required. This is when the doctor will closely examine your eyes and ensure that they are in good conditions. It’s highly important that your eyes are assessed regularly and your LASIK surgeon will guide you to correct and maintain your vision.
