You Can Stop Wearing Those Glasses If You Wanted To
LASIK is they key. If you've been in anguish over having to wear
glasses all the time, get LASIK done and you never have to wear
that pair again... ever.
LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce the dependency
on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK means Laser-Assisted In Situ
Keratomileusis.
It permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear
covering of the front of the eye.
During the LASIK procedure, a knife, called a microkeratome, is
used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of
this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the
middle section of the cornea.
Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of
the stroma and the flap is replaced.
While LASIK procedure may be the best thing to happen to your
glasses-wearing self, this is not for everyone. If you fit any
of the descriptions, LASIK is just not for you.
You don't take risks. There are certain complications which are
unavoidable in a certain percent of patients. LASIK procedure
does not have long term data, so in the end, you really don't
know what you're getting into.
Cost is and will be an issue. LASIK is refractive surgery and
most medical insurance will not cover it. Although the cost is
going down, it still in not significant and this procedure will
put a hole in your pocket.
You required a change in your contact lens or glasses
prescription in the past year. This is called refractive
instability.
If you fit any of the profiles. If you are in your early 20's or
younger, if you have diabetes, if you are pregnant or
breastfeeding and if you are taking medications that may cause
fluctuations in vision.
You're sick and your medications will affect wound healing.
Certain conditions such as autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency
states and diabetes may prevent proper healing after the LASIK
procedure.
If you actively participate in contact sports. You participate
in boxing, wrestling, martial arts or other activities in which
blows to the face and eyes are a normal occurrence.
You are not an adult. Currently, no lasers are approved for
LASIK on persons under the age of 18.
Your doctor should also screen you for the following conditions
or indicators of risk:
Blepharitis. Inflammation of the eyelids with crusting of the
eyelashes, that may increase the risk of infection or
inflammation of the cornea after LASIK. Large pupils. Younger
patients and patients on certain medications may be prone to
having large pupils under dim lighting conditions. This can
cause symptoms such as glare, halos, starbursts, and ghost
images (double vision) after surgery.
In some patients these symptoms may be incapacitating. For
example, a patient may no longer be able to drive a car at night
or in certain weather conditions, such as fog.
Thin Corneas. The cornea is the thin clear covering of the eye
that is over the iris, the colored part of the eye. Most
refractive procedures change the eye's focusing power by
reshaping the cornea. Performing LASIK procedure on a cornea
that is too thin may result in blinding complications.
Previous refractive surgery. Additional refractive surgery may
not be recommended. The decision to have additional refractive
surgery must be made in consultation with your doctor after
careful consideration of your unique situation.
Dry Eyes. LASIK surgery tends to aggravate this condition.
Once you've gone through this checklist and you're cleared, go
ahead and visit you're eye doctor. No more glasses forever!