The best way to Laser Eye Surgery
Laser eye surgery is a very good alternative for persons who
want to minimize their dependence on glasses or contact lenses.
Vision correction provided by the laser eye surgery is
comparable to the one obtained with glasses or contact lenses.
The most well known laser eye surgery is the procedure called
"Laser In Situ Keratomileusis," popularly known as LASIK. This
technique is advertised on the Internet, newspapers and
magazines, and it is very important that people know everything
about the risks and benefits of this form of laser eye surgery,
called LASIK.
The procedure consists in permanently changing the shape of the
cornea, which reduces the refractive error, and is performed for
the treatment of varying degrees of myopia, hyperopia and
astigmatism.
Doctor O'Brien, director of refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye
Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, warns that
people who want to undergo this form of laser eye surgery need
to be concerned of ads that make exaggerate promises. "Price
should not be the first factor" when a person decides to have
such a delicate laser eye surgery, he says. He also added that
it's very important to have an experienced, capable surgeon.
Doctors promise you that this form of laser eye surgery, LASIK,
will give you a rapid visual recovery, with littlest pain, and
little or no post-operative discomfort.
Most of the people who have LASIK are happy with the results of
their surgery, but, as with any medical procedure, there are
risks involved. The risks of this form of laser eye surgery
include: over- or under- treatment; permanent loss of vision;
the incapacity of wearing contact lenses; reduction in the
quality of vision; trouble with night-driving; and diminished
vision in dim light conditions. Furthermore, this form of laser
eye surgery is not reversible.
LASIK is not the only form of laser eye surgery used today.
Another option is photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, which is
chosen by less then 5% of people. Even though, there are certain
cases when this type of laser eye surgery is more appropriate
then LASIK. PRK delicately changes the shape of the cornea by
taking microscopic amounts of tissue from the outer surface with
a cool, computer-controlled ultraviolet beam of light. This form
of laser eye surgery takes just a few minutes, and the patients
recover in a week maximum.
Another type of laser eye surgery, appropriate for temporarliy
reducing hyperopia at people over 40, is Laser Thermal
Keratoplasty, or LTK. This procedure involves zapping 16 spots
on the outer part of the cornea to shrink the tissue. If the
patient chooses this form of laser eye surgery, there will be a
minimal chance of infection or loss of vision. The disadvantage
is that the procedure is temporary.
Experts say that laser eye surgery is benefic for people who
have mild to moderate levels of refractive errors. But people
must be aware of the risks involved by this procedure.