Lasik Eye Surgery

Since 1990 lasik eye surgery has been becoming more and more popular. Not because it is a cool thing to do or everyone wants to have 20/20 vision, but because for some people it is a last resort. Some people that are suffering from nearsightedness, farsightedness, and even those that have an astigmatism may prefer not to wear glasses or contact lenses any longer. If you are one of these people, you may want to weigh your options when it comes to lasik eye surgery. Despite what you may have already read or heard, there have been over 20 million procedures performed since the first one in the 90′s. And surprisingly enough every year adds another million to the equation.

Something that every candidate will go through is a screening process before they are even considered for lasik eye surgery. There are a few prerequisites that all lasik eye surgery candidates need to meet.

• A candidate needs to be at least 18 years of age
• Being in good general health
• Must have held a vision prescription for a minimum of a year
• A prospect must have appropriate corneal thickening
• Having the ability to take 2-3 days of off of work for the recovery process

As it seems many individuals think that they can not have the lasik eye surgery because of the cost of it. Although this procedure can range anywhere from $1200 to $2700 per eye, there are financing programs that many eye surgeons are using now so that more individuals are able to enjoy this procedure and not have to worry about the money. Of course there are different stipulations for obtaining the loans, but do not rule it out until you check on it.

If you have done the research and read the reviews from other patients that have had the lasik eye surgery performed it is time for you to meet with your own eye doctor. At this meeting they will be able to determine if you are a great candidate for the procedure or not. While you wait for your appointment make a list of questions you want answered before anything else.

• Are you a good candidate or not?
• What are the benefits of the surgery?
• What are the risks of having lasik eye surgery?
• How many procedures has the doctor done before, and how did they go?
• What to expect before and after the procedure?

These are just a few questions that you will want to have clear and concise answers to before you agree to any type of surgery. Personally, what I suggest to people before they agree to any surgery is to do their research and make sure that it is what you need, what you want, and that it will benefit you. I also urge individuals to make a list of the pros and cons of the procedures that they have been considering. And never underestimate the advise of others. Ask your friends and families about what they think of the lasik eye surgery that you are considering.

Individuals that are nearsighted, farsighted, or even an astigmatism are more often opting to have lasik surgery to correct their visual impairments. All lasik surgery is done to reshape the cornea and make light easier to travel through it in the correct fashion. Actually lasik surgery is only one of several different eye surgeries done today in order to correct these conditions for patients. Mainly because there are so many advantages to having the surgery done. It might be easier to just say that there are several benefits to having the surgery done, but I will list only a few of them for you now.

1. One of the main reasons why people are flocking to lasik surgery is because it actually works. Approximately 90% of all individuals will receive the desired vision improvement that they long for.
2. There is thankfully reported very little pain or discomfort reported after receiving lasik surgery.
3. If prompt results are what you are looking for, then lasik surgery is ideal since vision is corrected almost immediately following the procedure.
4. There are no stitches in the eye and no cumbersome bandages involved.
5. Years down the road there can be adjustments made after the lasik surgery to continue to correct the vision as well.
6. You may be able to pitch yout glasses or contact lenses after the lasik surgery because most patients do not even need them any longer.

While there are several positive reasons to have this lasik surgery, as with any surgery there are some downfalls to the procedure as well. I do not want to only give you the positive points and ignore the alternative sides as well, so here goes.

1. This lasik surgery is permanent and can not be reversed. Once there are any changes made to the cornea they can not ever be reversed.
2. The form of lasik surgery is often considered very technically complex. A patient needs to be aware of the fact that an issue may result if the doctor tears or cuts through the flap that lays over the cornea. This can and will permanently effect vision.
3. However, one must remember that the lasik surgery rarely causes the loss of their best vision.

As with any procedure performed on the body, there are some sort of side effects. In some cases there are more severe side effects then others. When considering lasik surgery there are generally the same few side effects.

• Dry or irritated eyes
• Vision that be fluctuating from time to time
• Night blindness when associated to driving
• ‘Haloing’ or seeing halos surrounding an image
• Minimal glare

Depending on the results you expect to end with, will depend on how seriously you consider having lasik surgery. The cons are surely outweighed by the pros, especially in this case. Dealing with a reputable and highly recommended doctor is of utmost importance. And most importantly discuss any and all options with them in their entirety.

I have worn glasses since I was 4 years old. As a matter of fact my mother still has my first pair of plastic glasses with the strap on the back of them so that they would not fly off of my face while I played. Now it is thirty years down the road and I have grown tired of wearing glasses all together. I switched to contact lenses some time ago and realized that was not for me. My only option left was to investigate lasik eye surgery and see if I am even a candidate for the procedure. The first shock came when I found there was certain criterion that I needed to meet in order to be a proper candidate for the elective procedure.

There were several aspects taken into account when the doctor evaluates your eyes to see if you qualify. They are looking for the amount of refractive error, how your cornea curves and how thick it is, and many other factors will be assessed. Having lasik eye surgery is not a procedure you just walk into a doctor’s office and request to have done. It just does not work like that.

To be a prime candidate for lasik eye surgery you will need:

• To be 18 years old or older, to receive the procedure for mild near sightedness
• To be 21 years old or older, receive the procedure for severe near sightedness
• To be someone that does not have or has never had an eye disease
• To have stable sight [can you stare at an object for 60 seconds or more at one time?]
• To evaluate any and all other treatments as well, know the risks

To be disqualified as a candidate for lasik eye surgery you would:

• Be younger than 18 years old.
• To have a prescription that has drastically hanged in the past 12 months.
• Need to have an auto-immune disease, or any immune-deficiency diseases.
• Need to be diagnosed with keratroconus, or cornea degeneration.
• Need to be taking prescribed medication; Accutane, Cordarone, or Imitrex.

I know that this is a lot of information, but I do want to have all of the possible information available to me so that I can make a very educated decision. After all, this is my vision that I am considering being tampered with. That in itself is a concern for me. I often wondered what would happened if I woke up blind? But then I realized that statistically that happening was a one in a million chance. However, thirty years of wearing glasses have toughened me a bit. I am ready, willing, and able; and I want to trade these glasses in for sunglasses.

I have finished the qualification process and am just waiting for my appointment. It has been confirmed by two different doctors that I am a great candidate, so that excites me. This time next month I will be typing on this computer; glasses-free. And I can honestly say it is because of the lasik eye surgery I underwent.

When you hear the word ‘surgery’ it has the same impact whether it is a basic lasik surgery or a full blown heart surgery. There are concerns that any normal everyday person will have and there is a very detailed checklist involved in each and every surgery, no matter what it is a surgery of. This time I am referring strictly to lasik surgery and what to do prior to the surgery itself.

The first thing you had to have already done is a initial and baseline evaluation by your eye doctor. The eye doctor will be the one that determines whether or not you are even a candidate for the lasik surgery or not. Once your eye doctor and yourself have decided that lasik surgery is the best avenue for you it is time to prepare yourself for the procedure.

• You will be asked to stop wearing soft contact lenses for about 2 weeks prior to the surgery itself. Then again you will be asked to stop wearing toric lenses or RGP lenses at least 3 weeks prior to the surgery. Lastly, you will need to stop wearing hard lenses at least 4 weeks prior to the surgery.
• Communication with your eye doctor is crucial. You need to make certain that they know any and all previous surgeries you have had and as well as any medication you are taking. This does include all over the counter medicine as well.
• Allergies are so important to be known to everyone. Medically, it could be disastrous if someone was not aware of an allergy you had and they administered a drug that would cause adverse reactions to yourself.
• You should discontinue wearing any types of lotions, creams, makeup, and perfumes the day before the scheduled surgery. Mainly because of the remnants left behind on the eyelashes when you remove it. It may also be suggested by your doctor that you scrub your eyelashes as well before surgery.
• Lastly, and this one is pretty important. You will need to arrange transportation for yourself after the lasik surgery is completed. Although you will be able to see, you will be in slight pain as well as tired. You will not be able to drive under any circumstances.

This may seem like an awful lot of information to take in. And you would be absolutely correct in thinking that. But one thing is for sure, you will do just fine through the initial consultation, the actual procedure, and the recovering and healing process. I often tell individuals considering this lasik surgery procedure to go over the pros and cons before they sign on the medical release form. Is this what you want? And do not be afraid to ask yourself why you want it. It often helps to take a piece of paper and split it down the middle listing the pros on one side and the cons on the other side. Seeing things in writing often times puts things into perspective for people.

Just like anything in this world or any kind of surgery, when it comes to lasik eye surgery, there are a variety of risks that you take.

Some people, although the percentage is very low, have reported lasik eye surgery horror stories where they went in for the procedure, only to find themselves almost completely blind once it was over.

Now we know that may sounds scary and if you’re considering having lasik eye surgery, it’s something you should know that can and has gone wrong in the past.

However, more than 90 percent of lasik eye surgeries have gone as planned with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

But you should also be aware that lasik eye surgery problems are not just confined to complications due to the surgery. Problems can also occur in the financial arena. The average cost for lasik eye surgery is about $2,100 per eye in the United States.

However, don’t be surprised if you see ads claiming to provide lasik eye surgery for $299 per eye.

The problem with this is that with these ads, the fine print often times goes unnoticed and after the patient has had the surgery, they receive a bill for three, four, or 10 times as much as they thought they were paying to have the surgery done.

That’s a sad reality of lasik eye surgery, but it’s a real one that you should lookout for.

The next kind of problem that people face with lasik eye surgery is that within six months of the surgery, about 15 percent of patients experience night vision problems. Some of these night vision problems are problems that the patient didn’t have before the surgery.

In addition to that, about 20 percent of lasik eye surgery patients report excessive dryness after the surgery, which has a huge affect on how sharp your vision is. Not to mention that dry eyes also cause additional pain, continuous scratching, burning, and even eyelids sticking to the eyeballs of patients.

But check this out: Most people only have lasik surgery to improve their vision, but recent studies have concluded that for people over 40 years of age who have lasik eye surgery will at some point find themselves wearing glasses again.

The reason for this is that over a 10 year period, the effects of lasik eye surgery begin to wear out, meaning the surgery doesn’t totally eliminate the need for glasses over the long-haul.

And speaking of the long-haul, many of those who undergo lasik eye surgery encounter other problems down the road due to under-diagnosed glaucoma.

So when you look at the entire scope of undergoing lasik eye surgery, there are a lot of benefits to having the surgery, but also there are a ton of things that can go wrong during and after the surgery.

The question you have to ask yourself is, is the risks that exist really worth it or are you better off with having a pair of glasses or contact lenses.

The choice is yours, but make sure that you’re totally comfortable for whatever the outcome could be.

Being able to see and see clearly is one of the greatest gifts in the world. However, for millions of people cross the globe, as they get older, eye site is something that tends to diminish over time.

Throughout history, people have been able to overcome this obstacle by simply wearing a pair of eye glasses and being fitted for contact lenses. Both of these options are great, but as technology continues to evolve, your individual options have also evolved in the form of lasik eye surgery.

Lasik eye surgery is basically a form of corrective eye surgery where your cornea is cut and corrected to provide you with sharper and much improved vision.

In case you didn’t know, lasik eye surgery was first introduced in the 1950s, but was not brought into the United States until 1989. Since that time, thousands of people who normally wear glasses are now able to see clearly without wearing contacts or any kind of lens.

Having lasik surgery has a ton of benefits, which include:

Sharper vision-Being able to see your friends, family, and the earth is one of the unique joys of having great vision. Unlike most options to improve your vision, lasik eye surgery provides you with a way to naturally see whatever you want to see without the help of modern visual aids.

With lasik surgery, the blurred vision that humans experience as they get older, is virtually eliminated with this breakthrough surgery.

No glasses are needed: Back in the day, people used to get joked on or called four eyed just because they wore glasses. Although glasses are a lot more stylish than they were decades ago, nothing can replace a person’s natural look.

With lasik surgery, you can restore your natural look and see clearer, often times better than you’ve ever been able to see.

The process doesn’t take long either: Most procedures these days take eight to 12 hours to complete. However lasik eye surgery only takes a few hours and you’re done.

And what’s really great about lasik eye surgery is that often times the insurance that many companies offer their employees cover this kind of surgery. When lasik eye surgery was first introduced in the United States, companies did not pay for this kind of surgery, but nowadays, it’s almost a standard surgery included in most insurance plans.

So not only will you be able to see clearer with sharper vision than you would with traditional glasses or contacts, but you may be able to undergo surgery and pay virtually nothing in return.

Talk about having a sweet deal!

The bottom line is that if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to improve your eye site without altering the way you look, lasik eye surgery is a great option to consider.

Lasik eye surgery provides you with one of the most up-to-date procedures being undertaken by millions of people across the globe. It’s safe, improves your overall vision, and can also improve your overall looks.

It’s a win, win situation if everything mentioned above is what you want for yourself.

Going for Lasik surgery is a big step. When a person decides to have this kind of eye operation, it means he is determined to do away with using glasses and contact lenses for the rest of his life. That Lasik can bring back your original vision may be a stretch for some, but people would rather take what Lasik treatment has to offer than spend their days dealing with inconvenient contact lenses and glasses that always seem to be misplaced.

When Lasik surgery started becoming popular, people developed all sorts of expectations. Most patients are also not shy about voicing out their opinions on how the surgery went, and what the so-called side effects are. Nowadays, people take Lasik for what it is; and fortunately, more doctors are conscientious enough to give the pros and cons without feeding the hype about the famous surgery procedure.

So, here are some things that a patient can expect after the surgery.

One must understand that regardless of the success of the surgery, the eye will naturally try to “cure” itself on its own. There may be a presence of mild pain and discomfort in and around the eye area for 3 to 4 days. This sensation may last longer for some people. During this time, the eye feels like it’s burning, which is a common sign that the wound created during the surgery is healing. A person who was subjected to Lasik surgery may experience water eyes for 3 days, which is the eye’s natural healing response. One common complaint is sensitivity to light. In fact, the eye should not even be exposed to light during this time, and patients are encouraged to wear an eye patch over the afflicted eye.

What to do after surgery?

A patient should avoid any activity that requires accurate vision for the whole week after surgery. These activities include driving around, doing construction work and needlework. Even after the eye patch has been taken off, the person should avoid the direct glare of sunlight and other light fixtures. A person who is recovering from the surgery should also avoid going out at night or going to dim places.

Your doctor’s instructions are significant and extremely important in your recovery. Recommendations from the doctor should be treated as direct orders so that the patient can avoid accidents. Just remember that your eyes will be extremely sensitive during this time, and therefore, you should avoid eye strain as much as possible. Allowing light to come into your eye after surgery can put strain on the pupil and cornea, like your eyes are working overtime.

Infection is another issue that you should address. Proper eye care should be done after surgery to avoid infection. Observe your eye for two weeks after surgery. If it becomes too painful or if it tears more often than you can handle, you should have it checked for infection. Irritation, and subsequently, infection is common among those who prefer to wear cosmetics or use perfume. Spray-on perfume should be avoided until your eye heals completely, or until the doctor gives his go-ahead.

Vision Expectations

Don’t be too quick to say that the surgery did not do anything to improve your vision. Remember that it may take up to six months for your vision to become stable. Expect to see halos around objects occasionally. If you can, avoid driving especially at night and take the bus instead.

No eye laser company can guarantee 100% success and safety rate. There are just so many factors involved, including the way you prepared your eyes before surgery. Keep away from cosmetics a week or so before you have your surgery to be safe. Also, rest your eyes frequently and don’t wear your contact lenses during this same period.

People who have poor eyesight go for refractive surgery to regain their normal eyesight. Some people would rather do away with contact lenses and glasses, and regain the sight they once had. LASIK is the most popular refractive surgery procedure, and for good reason. People sometimes call it “LASIX,” but the correct term for this is LASIK, an acronym for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.

Why the surge of popularity over the years? LASIK was once thought to be exclusive to the rich people who can afford it. But as time passed, the technology of LASIK became more developed and less expensive. Because of the rise in demand of LASIK clinics, this procedure became more popular compared to other vision correction procedures. The main reason why LASIK continues to be the best refractive surgery procedure around is the pain-free operation. Unlike other surgical operations, LASIK is safe and simple enough that any patient who has undergone the procedure can go home the very next day.

The process involved in a LASIK operation is simple. There’s an instrument called a microkeratome, which is utilized in LASIK eye surgery to produce a thin, circular flap in the cornea. This is done by machine, which means the precision is top notch if your doctor instructed you with the preparations well.

The surgeon uses the microkeratome to fold the hinged flap out of the way, so that some tissue from the cornea can be removed. A thin, cool ultraviolet beam is used to precisely remove bits of tissue from the cornea. This is done to reshape the main vision center of your eye.

After the reshaping of the cornea, your eye can focus light better. The end result is better vision and the removal of astigmatism. Nearsighted and farsighted people can make the most of the LASIK procedure. But the process is different for these cases. With nearsighted people, the doctor aims to flatten the cornea, which has become too steep. With farsighted people, LASIK is done with the intention of increasing the steepness of the cornea.

Lasik surgery is considered as one of the most modern ways to regain proper eyesight. Many people are suffering from vision problems, which means the eyeglass industry is booming. The contact lens industry is also expanding because so many people need help with their eyesight. When Lasik surgery procedures were developed, people found a way to regain their normal eyesight without having to wear contact lenses and glasses.

But some people are still hesitant to try Lasik because of the risks. There are some rare cases wherein the patients did not regain their normal eyesight after the surgery. There is also the fact that a lot of people refuse anyone to touch their eyes, even if the goal is to correct their vision.

If you are considering Lasik surgery, here are some things you should know.

- The surgery must not be over 30 minutes, during which you will lie on your back and let the laser system work on your eyes. The laser system is a big machine with a reclining chair. There is a microscope and computer screen attached to it. Doctors use this machine to administer the Lasik procedure.

- An eye drop will be used to numb your eyes. Someone will clean the area around your eyes. There is an instrument called a lid speculum that will be used to keep your eye open.

- A mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) will be used to place incision in the cornea. This part of the procedure may be uncomfortable because of the suction on your cornea. Dimming of your vision is normal during this phase. A laser device may be used in lieu of a mechanical microkeratome.

- You will be able to see, but your vision may blur during the rest of the procedure. The attending physician will then close the flap and dry the exposed tissue.

- A laser system will be positioned over your eye and you will need to look into a light fixture. Doing this is necessary because your eyes need to be fixed on a particular object when the laser works on other parts of your eyes. People who cannot stare at a particular point for more than 60 seconds may not be approved for Lasik surgery.

- When your eye is in fixed on the point, the laser therapy will begin. New sounds and smells may become apparent. As the laser removes corneal tissue, the smell may be strange like live tissue burning.

Recuperation involves protecting your eye until the flap has healed completely. This means using an eye patch that should be waterproof to prevent damage even during sleep. During this time, treat your eye like you would a gaping wound with stitches. It must not be touched or rubbed.

Lasik surgery is something that is done on the eyes to improve vision. If you find a good Lasik doctor, and you want to try the procedure, there are some things that you should know.

First, your doctor needs to do an initial or baseline evaluation. Your eye doctor should be the one to do this. He will also be the one to determine if you can be a good candidate for eye surgery. This is the time to ask your questions about the procedure, about the doctor’s skills and about possible side effects of treatment.

If you’re wear contact lenses, you should take them off a few weeks before surgery and switch to glasses. Contact lenses may modify your cornea anatomy and physiology, so you need to get your eyes accustomed to wearing glasses for up to several weeks. Your eye needs to be in its natural state before evaluation so that the assessment results are accurate. If you don’t follow this, your doctor may be expecting one thing and then having to adjust the procedure on the last minute just because your eye’s physiology and anatomy has changed right before the surgery.

Sometimes inaccurate measurements are not the surgeon’s fault. Some patients don’t follow instructions and are poorly informed about the risks of not doing exactly as the doctor requested. While the results of poor or inaccurate surgery are not fatal, the slightest mistake could cause you your vision.

Measurements taken regularly before the surgery will determine how much corneal tissue to remove. These will need to be repeated again right before surgery to make sure your eyes are reacting normally and nothing has changed.

If you wore soft contact lenses, the time to stop wearing them is around two weeks before the evaluation. This time frame may be extended to three weeks if you wear toric soft lenses or rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses. If you wear harder lenses, stop wearing them for a month before going for an eye exam.

You should be completely transparent with your doctor when it comes to your past and present medical and eye conditions. Disclose any drug you have been taking and for how long. All these may be factors to your possible surgery. There are some doctors who may even perform diagnostic tests to find out if you are suitable for surgery.

Make sure you know what the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the surgery are. Express what you expect to feel before, during, and after surgery. Convey your doubts to get a realistic view of what’s involved. Ask for the costs of the surgery and the hidden costs that come afterward.

A day or so before surgery, you should keep away from using lotions, especially aromatic ones. Makeup should not be used especially around the eyes. Stay away from perfumes that could irritate your eyes. All these products may leave residues that may irritate your eyes. You need to be completely chemical-free before your surgery.