After a complete health history and eye exam to determine whether or not a particular patient is a good candidate for Lasik, the Lasik surgeon will discuss options. There are several techniques used for Lasik vision correction surgery. The most common procedure uses a laser called an excimer. The excimer laser has been used to help correct vision during Lasik procedures since 1987. The laser profiles the cornea to give the surgeon and patient the best possible outcome for the surgery.

For the most part, Lasik vision correction surgery is done to help improve vision in patients that experience low to moderate vision problems. Both farsightedness and nearsightedness can be improved with the Lasik surgery. Improved vision is usually immediate and there is very little pain associated with this procedure.

The ability to profile the cornea using the excimer laser drastically improves the outcome of the surgery. While no Lasik doctor can promise perfect vision after the surgery, it is estimated that around 90 percent of Lasik patients do have a good outcome. Lasik does not always completely eliminate the need for corrective lenses. It does for some patients, but this should not be expected. Some Lasik patients still need to wear some form of corrective lenses after the procedure.

During surgery, an instrument called a microkreatome can be used instead of the excimer. This instrument is used to create a very thin, circular flap in the cornea. The excimer does they same thing as the microkreatome, but the excimer often gives a more precise cut and has a higher success rate. After the flap has been cut, the cornea is profiles. This means that the Lasik surgeon will fold the flap out of the way and remove corneal tissue using the excimer. This laser uses cool ultraviolet light rays to remove very small pieces of tissue. The doctor will remove more or less depending of the severity of the vision problem. Sometimes, a patient only needs a very small amount of tissue removed.

After the corneal tissue is removed, the Lasik surgeon will then reshape the cornea. This reshaping procedure causes the cornea to focus better and results in improved vision. The flap is then placed back over the area and is left to heal. The entire procedure only takes a minute or two. For patients that need both eyes corrected, the doctor will perform Lasik on one eye, wait for a little while and then do the second eye. Some patients choose to have the second eye a few weeks after the first eye is healed.

There are many advantages to profiling the cornea using the excimer laser. Besides being extremely accurate, the excimer laser often results in a better surgical outcome. Also, when using the excimer, the Lasik surgeon is always in control. The laser has a control unit that controls the movement and intensity of the laser beam. The laser will always fall on the right area of the eye even when there is slight movement of the eye. This is a huge benefit for the patient and the doctor because there are often uncontrollable eye movements during surgery that will influence the outcome of the procedure. The surgeon can also stop the procedure at any time using the excimer laser.

There are many benefits of have a Lasik vision correction surgery. For patients that must depend on glasses or contacts everyday, Lasik can often give people the freedom of doing without. Although some patients still must wear corrective lenses after surgery, most can experience clear vision without glasses or contacts. There are only a few risks of the Lasik procedure, too. Only a fraction of Lasik patients experience difficulties with low light vision, such as halos after surgery. Even fewer experience pain or reduced vision. Many times, these complications clear up on its own without further intervention. Some patients may require a second surgery.

As a patient, you should fully understand the benefits as well as the risks and complications involved with the Lasik procedure. While most people do have positive outcomes after the surgery, there are some that do not. Some people experience reduced night vision and daytime vision and have infection in their eyes following the surgery.

After you have chosen a Lasik eye surgeon, there are a few questions that you should ask before your schedule your surgery. Knowing the answers to these questions will often help you have a positive outcome with your Lasik vision correction surgery.

Am I a good candidate for Lasik surgery? Your Lasik doctor will carefully consider whether or not you are a good candidate for Lasik vision correction. It has been proven that those who are not good candidates for the procedure, but still have it done, do have complications. Your doctor should be fully aware of any health concerns or problems before agreeing to operate on your eyes.

How long will the recovery last? This is an important question to ask your Lasik doctor because each Lasik surgeon has different rules about recovery time. Depending on the depth of your surgery, you may have a longer recovery time. You may also need to take off of work longer.

One side effect is corneal ectasia. This is when fluid pressure builds up on the eye. The only fix for this is to have a corneal transplant. Imagine that, you go in to the doctor to have him simply reshape your eye so you can see better, and then you end up having to have a transplant. However, most doctors forget to mention this possible outcome when talking with you about lasik.

Some people go through all the pain and suffering and costs of surgery to have another complication. Some people come out of surgery losing their sight completely. Imagine going to a doctor to fix a minor problem and ending up with a worse problem. This is another thing they fail to mention when consulting you.

Some patients also experience some other minor complications. Some people develop a glare in their vision. There also have been cases of seeing halos. There is also the risk of developing double vision as a result of surgery. All these effects can seriously impair your ability to function normally. You went to the doctor to repair the natural damage to your eyes, and now the problem is worse. Most of these complications can not be fixed with glasses, contact lenses, or more surgery. Consider this before trusting someone who only took a class for a few days to shine a laser in your eye.

Another way to check to see if the doctor is trustworthy is to check with other patients about their surgery. If they had something go wrong with their surgery, check to see if it was immediately resolved, or if the problems were set aside. By the word of mouth through other patients, you will be able to tell if the doctor is in good standing with patients when they are receiving surgery. Usually, by checking with more than one patient, you will notice that the responses that the patients got are somewhat consistent because of the doctor’s practices and habits in the surgery room and during a regular visit.

There are several other ways to research the doctor which you are going to. Many doctors now have websites that gives their credentials, as well as the outcomes from patients. You can always find out about a doctor’s history with other patients and his relations in the medical fields by doing some research over the internet or through local areas. Scientific journals that give information on Lasik surgeons are also available for investigation. There are several places to find references in relation to the doctor and their practice. Sometimes, it is best to take the time to find out the details of the doctors practice before you make an appointment with them.

One way that you can overcome your fear of having lasik eye surgery is to watch it being done to someone else. Most doctors will allow you to watch it being done. They usually have it on video tape, and if they don’t most will allow you to sit in on a surgery at the patients consent. Once you see how simple, painless and quick the procedure is, most get over their fear. If you get to sit in on one of the surgeries, you can ask the patient what it felt like, how they are feeling now and any other question or concern that you have. Knowledge is Power. That old cliché never fails to be true when it comes to educating yourself about the pros and cons of lasik. The best way to overcome your fears is to learn as much about the surgery you can beforehand. The more you know, the better prepared you are for it to happen to you. Watching a surgery can also put your mind at ease about what happens. Your eyes are open the whole time, but you can’t see what’s going on around you because your head and eyes are kept in a stationary position. This can scare many people. Watching a surgery can alleviate many of those concerns.

If watching a surgery is not what it takes to get over your fear, you may want to consider counseling. If you want lasik bad enough, you will do it. Any good psychologist can cure people of most phobias. It is one of the things they went to school for. Some use methods such hypnosis and visual aids to help one overcome such fears. A good psychologist will have you ready for surgery in no time flat. If you can’t afford a good psychologist and watching a procedure does not help, something you may consider is meditation. Meditation can help calm your mind and body. It can help you lose weight, relax, get rid of headaches, and even get rid of phobias. Once you educate yourself on everything there is to learn about lasik, you should then do some research on meditation. “Meditation for Dummies” is a good book that will teach you what meditation is and how it can help you.

These are all good ways to get over your phobia. One of these could help you get over your phobia, but you may need a combination of several of these. Only you can decide what is going to get you over your phobia. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way over your phobia. If you want to see, then you will find a way. Once you overcome those fears and finally have the surgery, you will be glad you did. The benefits of not having to wear glasses or contacts will be well worth the work you put forth to get over that fear.

Please keep in mind that if you never get over your fear, you may be stuck wearing glasses forever. That thought should be the motivation you need to get over your fear.

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For those not wanting to consider surgery at all, contact lenses or eyeglasses are always available. Many contact lenses are being made to better fit eyes and not irritate as much. They are being made more durable and resistant to outside dust and buildup, which helps with vision if another type of surgery doesn’t want to be considered. While some may be more sensitive to contact lenses, it is always an option for those who have determined that they are not ready to receive a surgery.

However, if you don’t want to have eyeglasses or contacts and can’t receive Lasik surgery, then it is possible to consider lens implants. This is best if you have nearsighted vision. This type of implant occurs through a small incision being made by the lens. The lens, like a contact, is then inserted into your eye through this incision. This is then secured in your eye through the use of a special tool so that it will stay in the iris of the eye. The lens will then stay in the eye without you having to care for it. If needed, it can be taken out or replaced. Lens implants aren’t as permanent as Lasik surgery, but are easier to care for than the eyeglasses or contacts. Unlike Lasik surgery, if something goes wrong during the lens implants, or if they are not being effective as expected, then they can simply be taken out or replaced.

Another type of surgery that is available is known as photorefractive keratectomy, also known as PRK. This is another type of refractive surgery that can be used for eyesight. It reshapes the cornea by taking out tissue from the outer surface. It does this by using an ultraviolet beam of light. This procedure does not take any more than a few minutes and is done only by the use of technology, as opposed to cutting that is offered in both the lens implants and Lasik surgery.

Another type of technological survey that can be used is laser thermal keratoplasty, also known as LTK. This procedure involves taking the cornea and removing parts of the outer part. In response, this shrinks the tissue around the cornea, allowing for better eyesight. This treatment is considered more temporary than the other procedures, as the tissue can easily grow back into place. However, if there is little loss of drawbacks that occur more easily in the other surgeries, such as a loss of eyesight or infection.

While the flap is pulled back, the surgeon reshapes the middle portion of the cornea, which is called the stroma. He accomplishes this by using an excimer laser to vaporize unnecessary tissue without damaging areas that need to be left untouched.

The Results

For most Lasik patients their vision is improved almost immediately after the procedure is completed. For other patients, the vision shows gradual improvement over a period of a few days or weeks.

Most people gain 20/20 vision, or even better than 20/20, after undergoing the Lasik procedure. Some people, however, achieve 20/40 or worse. 20/40 is still quite good, and most states consider this level of vision to be good enough for driving a car, but it is less than ideal. In addition, these patients might still find it necessary to wear glasses or contacts in order to feel comfortable with their vision. Their prescription, however, will be much lower.

In addition, some Lasik patients experience regression after the procedure takes place. This means that their vision gradually worsens. If this happens, the surgeon can often perform an enhancement or touch up surgery to improve vision again.

Presbyopia

Even for those patients whose vision is improved perfectly by Lasik surgery, it might still be necessary to get reading glasses or bifocals after reaching the 40’s. This is due to presbyopia, which begins to occur between the ages of 38 and 42. If this occurs, distance vision generally remains crisp, but it becomes more difficult to see things up close. Those suffering from presbyopia also often need to hold reading material at arms length to see if not wearing glasses or develop headaches when doing work close up.

Presbyopia is part of the eye’s natural aging process that can be corrected with glasses. With presbyopia, the eye loses its ability to change focus in order to see nearby objects. This condition is often thought of as farsightedness, but the two are actually very different. Presbyopia occurs when the lens within the eye loses its flexibility. Farsightedness, on the other hand, is the result of a misshapen eyeball. This causes light to bend incorrectly after entering the eye.

Currently, farsightedness can be corrected with Lasik surgery because it simply requires altering the shape of the cornea. Presbyopia, on the other hand, cannot be corrected by Lasik surgery. Researchers, however, are studying ways to correct presbyopia with surgery, as well.

Before you have the Lasik procedure, check into your insurance plans, especially if you have some sort of vision insurance. Most insurance companies consider Lasik surgery an elective procedure. This usually means that they won’t pay. Sometimes an employer will make special arrangements with certain Lasik centers for their patients. These special arrangements are usually available for employees. Often these can give potential Lasik patients a special or reduced price for this procedure.

Some companies also offer expanded vision insurance program plans. It used to be that most vision insurance would only pay for basic vision exams, eyeglasses or contact lenses. Some of expanded vision insurance plans now offer Lasik in the plan. Expanded vision plans that offer Lasik may not pay for the whole procedure, but for maybe half of the surgery or even a percentage. If you have an expanded vision health plan, check with your insurance plan to see if your Lasik procedure will be covered.

When you are looking into having a Lasik procedure, make sure you check carefully into the pricing options that the Lasik center can offer. Lasik ads can be deceiving. Often commercials for Lasik procedures tell people that the procedure can be performed for $500 per eye. That may be the case for those who have very low cases of vision problems, but the higher your eyeglass prescription, the more your Lasik procedure will cost. The average Lasik procedure costs around $2000. Many times, Lasik will cost more than that. Also, it is important to remember that a less experienced Lasik surgeon may charge considerably less. It is important to not choose a doctor based solely on the fee they charge. That surgeon may not use the latest technology or may have considerably less experience.

Before having any Lasik procedure, it is important to find out what your financial obligations will be. In some countries such as Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, Lasik procedures are covered by insurance although it is considered elective. In the United States and Canada, insurance will not cover the costs associated with Lasik procedures.

Similarities. Both Lasik and contacts are able to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and, to some extent, astigmatism. Both Lasik and contacts can eliminate the effect of minification and peripheral distortion that might have been evident if and when you wore glasses, because both options correct your vision right at the surface of your eye.

Convenience. Extended wear contact lenses, introduced in the late 1970s, made contact lenses far more convenient than they were previous to that. Extended wear contacts, however, did not quite live up to their claims; it became evident that they could not be worn continuously for the length of time that had been claimed (usually 30-days) without problems occurring. When “disposable” contact lenses were introduced it made wearing contact lenses much more convenient but they were still a daily concern. In the past few years, thanks to advances in contact lens research and manufacture, the “30 Day Lenses” have returned. Time will tell how successful these will be in providing the convenience that contact lens wearers desire. The Lasik procedure, for those who can take advantage of it is, of course, the ultimate in convenience with no lenses to worry about at all.

Comfort. Certainly Lasik wins the comfort ‘derby’ after, that is, the initial discomfort of post-op recovery which, in more extreme cases, may last up to six months. Contact lenses are more “comfortable” for some people than for others because of the varying degree of tolerance for discomfort between individuals and new advances in the materials used to manufacture contacts have made the lenses even more comfortable. The fact remains, however (as reported in the Contact Lens Spectrum at http://www.clspectrum.com/article.aspx?article=12787) that an estimated 2-3 million people of ‘drop out’ of contact lens wear each year due to comfort and inconvenience factors. That number equals approximately 10% of contact lens wearers.

Lifestyle issues. Again, as far as being able to go about your daily activities without the inconvenience and worry that may be caused by contact lenses, gives Lasik another win in the Lifestyle column.

Statistically Speaking

A study that took place in the late 1990’s showed that nearly 5% of people who underwent Lasik surgery encountered some sort of problem. Experienced surgeons, however, are currently reporting a complications rate of below 1% if candidates are screened and selected carefully.

When Lasik complications do occur, most are resolved by re-treating the eye with lasers or by using eye enhancements. Rarely are the complications of Lasik permanent or significant.

Flap Complications

The most common form of complications associated with Lasik is problems with the flap. The flap is what is created when the clear front covering of the eye, or the cornea, is cut and lifted to assist in the reshaping of the eye. After the reshaping is completed, the flap is replaced and serves as a form of natural bandage.

On rare occasion, this flap is cut through. This most often occurs when a microkeratome is used for this procedure rather than an IntraLase laser. In fact, IntraLase has been shown to increase the accuracy of the procedure and, therefore, reduce the number of flap complications.

If the flap is cut incorrectly, it may not adhere correctly to the surface of the eye. In addition, the flap can be cut too thinly or too thickly. When the flap is put back in position over the eye, it can start to wrinkle. These flap complications can cause the eye surface to be irregularly shaped, thereby creating irregular astigmatism and vision distortions.

Dead cells can also get trapped beneath the flap. This phenomenon, called Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (DLK) or, “Sands of the Sahara,” causes the cornea to react to the presence of this foreign matter, which leads to inflammation and scarring. This can potentially lead to permanent vision loss if not treated promptly with topical steroids and antibiotics. In addition, the flap might need to be lifted and scraped in order to remove the infiltrates and the resulting growth.

Dry Eye and Other Problems

Dry eye can also occur after Lasik surgery. In addition, infection, inflammation, redness, irritation, and visual distortion can occur. Some patients report seeing glares or halos around objects that are brightly lit at night. The Lasik treatment zone being too small can cause these complications, because it is unable to accommodate the larger size of the pupil while in a lowly lit area.

As surgeons become more and more skilled with performing Lasik eye surgery and technology continues to advance, the likelihood of developing complications from this innovative procedure decreases.