Lasik eye surgery corrects blurry vision that occurs from a misshapen cornea. The cornea bends light rays to help them focus properly on the retina at the back of the eye. By cutting and lifting a small flap of tissue from the outside of the eyeball, a surgeon can use a laser to reshape the cornea before replacing the tissue, removing your need to wear corrective eyewear.

The procedure is done over two million times a year in the USA, with a very low rate of infection. Complications, like blurred vision, corneal scarring, dryness and haloes or starbursts around lights, generally occur in only 1% of cases and if your surgeon has performed over 1000 of these procedures, the risk is even less.

Lasik Eye Surgery Safety Tips

Lasik eye surgery is not a cure for any and all eye problems. Older patients often require reading glasses because of hardening of the lens, which can’t be corrected by laser surgery. The surgery also does not have a fantastic result for those with either very weak or very strong prescriptions for glasses or contact lenses. Being informed about your eligibility for the surgery will ultimately help you avoid disappointment and an unfavourable result.

Surgeons who offer you a “20/20 Vision Guarantee!” should most certainly be avoided. Many Lasik eye surgeries actually require a 3 month follow up and should not be taken lightly, by you or the surgeon. Only registered Ophthalmologists are permitted, and are qualified and experienced enough, to perform the procedure. So ensure that you choose your laser-wielding doctor wisely!

Lasik eye surgery does run the risk of a slight loss of vision and diminished night or fog vision that can’t be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. While a low risk, ensure that you discuss your options with the surgeon and that the benefits outweigh these risks.

Lasik eye surgery is a relatively safe procedure, with amazing benefits accompanying minimal risks. In order to have a positive experience, ensure that you’re well-informed and make educated choices, then simply enjoy your new clear vision!

LASIK eye surgery is elective. It is not cosmetic, like facelifts, or medically necessary, like heart bypasses, but it does correct a physical problem and enhance quality of life. However, if you are comfortable wearing glasses or contact lenses, you don’t really have to have any kind of laser eye surgery.

There are a number of reasons why you might not be an ideal candidate for LASIK eye surgery. Not all LASIK surgery alternatives involve the same degree of surgical intervention. For example, intracameral intraocular lenses (ICLs), which are pending approval by the FDA, may become a good option if you are simply too nearsighted or farsighted to benefit from LASIK. A small lens is placed behind the pupil but just in front of the eye’s existing lens, adding another focusing apparatus and changing the orb’s focal point. When approved, this procedure could become quite popular, but probably won’t replace LASIK because of the additional risk.

There are several types of intraocular lenses (IOLs) that can be implanted in the eye, temporarily or permanently, to correct moderate to severe nearsightedness. In nearsighted patients, light rays focus in front of the retina resulting in blurry vision, so the IOL is placed behind the cornea to alter the focus and improve vision. Like LASIK surgery, this is an outpatient procedure than takes little time.

There are several different laser surgery methods available as alternatives if you are not a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. One of the best known, and most widely performed, is photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), which uses a laser to sculpt the cornea’s exterior surface. (LASIK makes changes inside the cornea.) For patients with low to moderate nearsightedness and farsightedness, with or without astigmatism, PRK has proven extremely beneficial. This procedure is often recommended if you have certain corneal conditions, such as ulcerated areas, scarring, or what is called “recurrent corneal erosion.” It takes longer to achieve a final result from a PRK surgery because there is a greater amount of tissue that requires healing.

A new procedure called laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) – simply a modification of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) – was developed by an Italian surgeon and first described in the medical literature in 1999. In the LASEK procedure the surgeon loosens the outer layer of the cornea (epithelium); but, unlike PRK, the epithelium is not removed but folded back so the laser can sculpt the cornea as it is exposed. After applying the laser, the surgeon replaces the epithelium over the cornea. Vision recovery following LASEK is usually faster than with PRK, but slower than LASIK.

The LASEK procedure, which utilizes the eye surgeon’s favorite laser (called an “excimer” laser), is not FDA-approved. Surgeons cannot advertise the LASEK procedure except to get subjects for clinical trials. Early results with this procedure are promising, but many additional studies are required before LASEK is accepted as a safe, effective procedure.

Research continues on both surgical and non-invasive vision correction procedures. Using a variety of approaches, from implanting plastic pieces to reshape the cornea to using different heat sources than lasers (like radio waves and probes), doctors and physiologists continue to make progress in the treatment of various eye maladies. Somewhere among the many existing and soon-to-arrive techniques, from LASIK to LASEK, there is bound to be one that matches up well with your diagnosis, goals, expectations and comfort level.