lasiksurgerydirect.com

Laser vision surgery is also known as laser refractive correction surgery. As you know, the defect in the vision is because of the permanent change in the refractive index of your eye lens. The vision defects basically are of three types. Myopia or the near sightedness, hyperopia or the far sightedness and astigmatism are the major vision defects. Before we look into what laser vision surgery does to correct your vision, a brief understanding of each of them makes better sense.

Myopia is because of the increased or extra length of the eye ball. Here the eye focuses in front of the retina and as a result you will not be able to see distant objects clearly as you could do with the nearer objects. The most popular laser vision surgery for correcting this is LASIK or PRK. However these two procedures are not entirely different from each other in so far as how laser is employed in surgery but they differ in the methodology that is applied. In LASIK (laser assisted in situ keratomileusis) surgery a flap is cut on the cornea and hinged over to expose an area in the cornea for laser ablation. Laser rays in the precisely calculated intensity are impacted in pulses on the exposed area which vaporizes the corneal tissue to the desired extent. And then the flap is placed back.

The device used for flap cutting is called microkeratome. PRK type of laser vision surgery is photorefractive keratectomy where the need for cutting a flap is absent.

Hyperopia affects about one fourths of the population and is because of the short length of eye ball or eye focusing behind the retina. This can also be because of a flattened cornea. Laser surgery is applied in a unique way in this case that a ring of dots is formed around cornea which stretches the surrounding area resulting the cornea to bulge out (this is similar to a bag having a string to close its mouth). Astigmatism is where cornea's curvature is asymmetrical and as a result objects focus at two points on the retina.

Both corneal and natural crystalline lens asymmetry can cause astigmatism. Lenticular (lens) astigmatism is taken care of by over correcting the cornea. Like if your lens has say -1.0 reading cornea needs to be corrected to +1.0 diopter. If you are considering laser vision surgery ponder these points that concern you straight.

First of all ask yourself if you need to really go for laser surgery for vision correction. Hearsays apart, the permanence of the laser vision surgery is not too high statistically. More over you can not rest assured that the condition will not regress or worsen by itself like it did before you underwent laser surgery. So does your age will have a definite act on your vision, like on the most of ours. Ask about the complications of both temporary and permanent natures associated with laser vision surgery. Some of the temporary complications associated with the laser surgery may take up to several months to resolve.

LASIK is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure and stands for Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis. Owing much to the technological advances, several new refractive surgery procedures have been developed. However, the procedure is still the most potent and prevalent treatment of all surgical interventions for the eye.

The prevalence of LASIK has also ensured that it is very much accessible to nearly everyone who desires to undergo the surgery. Therefore, finding an efficient eye surgeon in your vicinity won?t be difficult at all. LASIK procedure can surely eliminate your vision problems and offer you crystal clear vision… something that every living soul desires.

In essence, the procedure makes use of a high-precision laser called the excimer laser, which is an ultraviolet chemical laser. The procedure involves cutting a flap in the cornea. The flap is folded back to make room for making incisions in the corneal tissue. Highly sophisticated computer-controlled equipment is used to perform the surgery. For instance, a sensor is used to measure the eye position around 4000 times per second. The laser is redirected to make precise incisions in order to reshape the cornea so as to ensure accurate refraction. This results in enhanced visual acuity.

LASIK is a reliable and rather safe procedure relative to other refractive surgery procedures. It is not that time-consuming either. Patients witness speedy recovery after the procedure. Most patients have a significant improvement in vision just after the procedure. Some patients may experience blurred vision, but this condition is alleviated within a week or two when the cornea is completely healed.

Another reason why this procedure is the preferred refractive surgery is because it has a minimal complication rate of 5%. Such a meager complication rate speaks volumes for the efficacy of LASIK. When you choose LASIK, you choose the best that technology has to offer. Therefore, you can easily rely on LASIK and need not be anxious about it.

LASIK is the one of the most prevalent corrective eye surgery procedures, chosen by many to alleviate their vision troubles. It?s rightly said that the eyes are the most precious of the five senses, and it?s imperative that we keep them in good health. However, no matter how hard you strive to keep your eyes healthy, vision defects may creep up all the same. Thankfully, LASIK is an efficient procedure to cure all your vision problems.

LASIK is a superlative eye corrective surgery that has state of the art technology and equipment at its disposal. It employs a high-precision laser to achieve precise and much expected results. LASIK vision correction is a simple procedure where the corneal tissue is carved to accomplish desired refraction and improved vision acuity. LASIK vision correction is a mere 20-30 minute chore. A single surgery is normally enough to restore clear vision. Though rare, some patients might have to go through surgical enhancements.

In general, LASIK provides clear vision almost instantly. Many patients experience a significant improvement right after the surgery. However, a few patients may have blurry vision for a day or two, which certainly wears off as soon as the cornea is completely healed. Patients might have to take a few precautions as prescribed by the eye surgeon. This certainly aids in a speedy recovery.

It is recommended that you carry out a basic research when choosing an eye surgeon to perform LASIK vision correction for you. Any type of vision defect should not be ignored. It is essential that you do the needful to correct your vision anomaly. Do bear in mind that LASIK is a superlative option for the same. It is just a matter of making an informed decision and carrying it out.

LASIK vision correction once used to be a procedure that could be accessed by a select few people. However, owing to a lot many finance options, LASIK is now accessible to almost everyone. Therefore, it?s time to throw away those eyeglasses and enjoy life to the fullest through LASIK vision correction.

We all desire to have a perfect vision. However with growing age or any unfortunate mis-happening an individual?s vision may get distorted. But today science has blessed mankind with several wonderful techniques to rectify the faulty vision.

1. Flap Procedure treatments- are those where the surgeon removes the flap in the cornea to have an access to the tissue underneath. Some of the well known Flap treatments are as follows-

· LASIK refractive eye surgery is quite a commendable eye surgery these days. The term LASIK stands for ?laser in situ keratomileusis? surgery. This treatment is basically meant to treat nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism (misshapen cornea). LASIK provides a correct vision through the use of a laser by reshaping the cornea and changing its focusing power. LASIK usually takes less than one minute per eye. In USA LASIK surgeries have been performed since 1993.

· Contemporary technique of LASEK or Laser Epithelial Keratoileusis surgery is also widely in use nowadays. LASEK is akin to LASIK refractive eye surgery. But unlike LASIK, in LASEK the surgeon cuts a flap in the epithelium only instead of through the epithelium and part of the stroma. After this the surgeon loosens the edges of the flap with the help of alcohol. The cases that are too sensitive to be treated by LASIK i.e. where people have thin or flat corneas are operated under the LASEK. Though LASEK is quite beneficial it has few shortcomings over LASIK. For instance the after LASEK surgery the patient feels uncomfortable for a long time and in comparison to LASIK, LASEK takes more time to heal.

· Epi-LASIK surgery is also a form of LASEK where the flap is removed only at the epithelium without the use of any blade or alcohol. In Epi-LASIK the surgeon makes use of a separator, epikeratome that creates an epithelial sheet. Since there is no alcohol used in this entire process, the patient feels less pain in this surgery and heals relatively faster.

· ALK or the Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty surgery is meant to treat the problem of nearsightedness and mild farsightedness. In ALK firstly the surgeon cuts a flap in the stroma. Then with the use of a microkeratome he removes the material under the flap. This removal is not done in case ALK is taken up to treat far-sightedness. Usually it takes less than an hour to do the ALK eye surgery.

2. Photoablation Technique- this requires the use of ultraviolet radiation to remove the eye tissues. Photoablation is basically the step that follows LASIK and LASEK surgeries.

· PRK or Photorefractive Keratectomy is a surgery that mainly treats nearsightedness, mild farsightedness and astigmatism. Here the surgeon makes the use of an excimer laser to remove the tissue from the surface of the cornea. The tissue ablation is taken up to give a new shape and minimize the vision problem. PRK is not a lengthy procedure. It usually takes less than one minute per eye.

LASIK is short for laser in-situ keratomileusis. Now you can see why they came up with "LASIK" for short. Despite that long, hard to pronounce name this procedure has brough 20/20 vision or even better to thousands of people every week. The technology has dramatically improved in recent years. We've gone from a time where the doctor would be making incisions into your eye to the point now that every step of the process is guided and carried out by a precision laser. IntraLase and Custom Wavefront LASIK are the two major developments and if you can afford the added cost, it it well worth it. The accuracy and the success ratios are unmatched when you incorporate this new technology.

There are some things to expect and to ask for when you decide to go ahead with your laser eye surgery. First, be sure the actual surgeon sees you in the initial consult and any follow-up visit. Avoid facilities where you do not meet the surgeon until you are in the actual operating room. Unfortunately this is the case at some offices. Be sure you also ask many questions about the number of procedures your surgeon has performed and their success ratio. Do not expect 100%. There are times when certain people will need a "touch-up." This is common and you should not expect them to tell you they never have any problems. If you hear that, you know there is a problem. However, their touch-ups should be in the 5% range.

In addition, during the screening appointment you should get the feeling that they would and do actually turn people away. There are a number of tests you should go through to determine that you are an acceptable candidate. If it seems like you are quickly being rushed through that process that should send up a red flag. Once you are approved for surgery and decide to go ahead and have them use the latest laser technology as detailed above you will be given a list of instructions to follow leading up to the actual surgery. Perhaps the most amazing part about the procedure is all the set-up probably takes 95% of the time, the actual procedure is usually done in just a few minutes.

Make sure you follow the follow-up procedures that your surgeon should detail for you. It may include some visits to their office though every surgeon is different. There should however be a well detailed plan for you to follow for at least the next year.

Follow these steps and you'll be seeing clearly and perhaps better than you have ever in your life.

It?s true that there are a lot of eye corrective procedures available to patients. The sheer variety of surgical procedures may often leave the patient perplexed. But whatever may be your procedure of choice, attaining excellent results is largely dependent on the expertise of your eye surgeon. LASIK is by far the most preferred corrective eye surgery, and hence it is imperative that you choose a LASIK eye surgeon with a great deal of experience. Knowing that your eye surgeon is one of the best in the field makes you all the more comfortable.

Choosing an efficient LASIK surgeon would involve some basic research, and you must bear in mind a few points while you carry out your quest. The LASIK eye surgeon who performs your surgery should remain in touch with you from beginning till end, including the pre-operative examination and the post-operative checkups. A nice criterion for gauging an eye surgeon?s efficacy is the number of operations he has performed. In general, people prefer a surgeon who has performed over 500 LASIK surgical procedures.

A few LASIK institutes tout aggressive slogans and offer surgical procedures at discounted prices. It is advised that you have an aversion to such sales gimmicks. Cost should not be a major determining factor when choosing a LASIK surgeon ? experience is what matters the most, since it?s the matter of eyes, the most precious of the five senses. It is recommended that you choose a surgeon who is affiliated to an academic medical center. Such eye surgeons are more likely to have a good grasp of the latest technological innovations as far as LASIK is concerned.

Another significant factor governing your choice should be the technology and equipment the LASIK surgeon wields at his or her operation center. You must ensure that the LASIK surgeon has the latest computer-controlled equipment and the best laser available to perform LASIK surgery.

This may sound overwhelming but it?s highly essential, since the quality of equipment could well be the difference between an excellent result and a fairly mediocre result. Also ensure that the LASIK surgeon has enough staff members so as to provide adequate care to all the patients as you won?t want to be left unattended after surgery.

If you want to have good vision without wearing glasses or contact lenses, but are unsure about lasik, there is another alternative - you can wear contacts only at night and see well all the next day. Find out about the pros and cons of this solution and decide if it could work for you.

If you want to have good vision without wearing glasses or contact lenses, but are unsure about lasik, there is another alternative - you can wear contacts only at night and see well all the next day. Find out about the pros and cons of this solution and decide if it could work for you.

How does it work?

The method we are talking about is called orthokeratology, which means that contact lenses are used to reshape your cornea, while you sleep, so you can see well during the following day.

Shortsightedness is caused when the light coming into your eye doesn't focus properly on the retina, because your cornea is not quite the right shape. Normally the problem is corrected with glasses or daily wear contact lenses. However, the same result can be achieved by reshaping your cornea either permanently, with lasik surgery, or temporarily with cornea reshaping contact lenses.

Orthokeratology lenses only give a temporarily effect - about 18-20 hours. So to see well every day you have to wear them every night. It usually takes about 2 weeks for your vision to improve, after you start wearing cornea reshaping contact lenses.

Could orthokeratology work for you?

It is important to understand that not all vision problems can be corrected by cornea reshaping lenses. It only works for myopia (shortsightedness) for up to -6 and astigmatism for up to -1.75. If your prescription is higher, cornea reshaping lenses won't work for you. They also don't work for people with hyperopia (longsightedness).

Orthokeratology lenses suit people who don't like wearing glasses or contact lenses during the day. If you have dry eyes, work in a dusty environment or simply feel discomfort by the end of the day of wearing ordinary contacts, cornea reshaping contact lenses could be a solution for you.

Compare cornea reshaping contact lenses and common contact lenses

Orthokeratology lens advantages:

* You don't have to fuss over putting in your lenses, in the morning
* You can see well all day long. Most soft contact lenses are recommended for wear up to 12 hours, while people usually need their vision 16-18 hours a day * No eye dryness or other discomfort usually caused by contact lenses during the day. Especially suited for people who suffer from dry eyes

Disadvantages:

* The lenses used in orthokeratology are Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contacts and some people find them uncomfortable. Most contact lenses that patients wear during the day are soft contacts
* Fitting orthokeratology contact lenses requires special skills. Also you will have to visit your doctor several times. As a result, this solution costs more than if you wore daily wear contacts.

If you are tired of your usual contacts and are thinking about lasik, also consider cornea reshaping contacts. The effect is similar but, unlike lasik surgery, orthokeratology contacts are absolutely safe because the effect they produce is temporary.

The Excimer laser is a form of ultraviolet chemical laser, and is the key element that has made laser eye surgery possible. Though Excimer laser was originally used in semiconductor manufacturing in the 1970s, its use in eye surgery is now fairly widespread. While working at the IBM research laboratories in 1982, Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasin and his research team discovered the potential of the Excimer laser in interacting with biological tissue. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Steven Trokel, explained its connection with the corneal tissue. And this was how LASIK eye surgery came into existence.

There are several types of lasers, but excimer is the preferred choice when it comes to corrective eye surgery. This is due to the fact that excimer is the most technologically advanced laser type. The excimer laser is, literally, a cool laser. That is, it precisely removes the desired part of the corneal tissue, without heating up or damaging the adjacent tissue. Quite amazingly, the excimer laser is so precise that it is capable of removing 0.5% of a human hair??s width at a time. That fact itself is enough for patients to believe that excimer-assisted eye surgery is not a gimmick, but a true technology leveraged procedure.

With the computer technology at its disposal and the precision offered by the laser, LASIK surgery has emerged as the number one choice for patients with refractive error. Since the excimer laser emits cool, minute beams that make precise incisions on the surface of the cornea, a dedicated technician operates the machine while the ophthalmologist performs the surgery.

Your eyes are your window to the world and your sight is the most important of the five senses. Hence, it is all the more imperative that, if need be, you go for an eye surgery that is reliable and has minimal side effects. With the high-precision technology of the excimer laser and the overall reliability of the procedure, LASIK is the most prevalent of corrective eye surgeries.

Refractive surgery is a general term referring to the collection of many different surgical procedures, all with the key intent to fix the refractive error of the eye. Refractive surgery is the preferred treatment for rectifying a variety of vision impairments. Its popularity is owing to the fact that it produces efficacious and predictable vision improvement without any major side effects.

Essentially speaking, refractive surgery is any eye surgery employed to improve visual acuity and decrease dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The refractive surgery field encompasses operative procedures for all types of refractive errors, be it myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism or presbyopia. The most common procedure is to use lasers to reshape the corneal tissue.

Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) is the most commonly performed refractive surgery procedure. Especially recommended for treating nearsightedness, it consists of cutting a flap in the cornea in order to carve the tissue underneath and give it the desired shape. The eye surgeon may either use a microkeratome (a precision surgical instrument) or a laser to cut a flap of the corneal tissue. Then onwards, the underneath tissue is reshaped with the aid of the excimer laser (a high-precision ultraviolet chemical laser).

Other refractive surgery procedures include Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelium Keratomileusis (LASEK), EPI-LASIK, Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), Radial keratotomy (RK) and arcuate keratotomy (AK), among others. Cataract extraction and intraocular lens implants may also be considered as types of refractive surgeries, since the key intent is to extract the lens with a refractive error and replace it with a new lens that provides clear and improved vision.

As of now, LASIK is a clear winner among the available eye corrective surgical procedures. All the above listed refractive surgery procedures have potential complications. However, LASIK has a minimal complication rate of a mere 5%. With the technology in hand and with proper pre-operative examination, your laser eye surgery would go as smooth as a walk in the park.

The opacity of the eye lens that causes vision impairment especially in the middle age is called cataract. Cataract at adolescent ages is hereditary. But it is usually resulted by degenerative aging process. A clouding of the vision as a result may require that you wear glasses. Surgery for cataract is most common and cataract laser surgery has limitations.

Preparation for Cataract Surgery

In preparation of cataract surgery area around your eye is cleaned disinfectant lotion. The Ophthalmologist will put eye drops and you can do better with a sedative. After the local anesthesia an appliance known as speculum is used by him to keep your eyelids open.

Traditionally, surgery is the remedy for cataract and no medication nor can eye exercise reduce or treat it. All that is required is a surgical incision to remove lens from your eye. The cloudy lens is dislocated from its capsule and an artificial lens (intraocular lens) is placed in its position. Your ophthalmologist will use some of the most precise instruments for your eye surgery. The artificial lens can be made of refractive materials such as acrylic, silicone or plain plastic.

Cataract Laser Surgery?

Laser is not used in cataract surgery. However, the lens capsule (it can be thought of as a socket that holds lens) at times gets cloudy after cataract operation. Then your surgeon can get to use laser for operating upon the clouded capsule. And the cloudy capsule obstructs light rays from reaching retina as they should. Consequently the clouded capsule can blur your vision even if the lens is clear. There is a perfect chance for the person who had cataract to have it.

All that a cataract laser surgery means is your surgeon makes a hole in the lens capsule to enable passage of light. The blurring or clouding of the lens capsule is a result of the capsule thickening.

Cataract Surgery helps you regain vision perfectly. But Cataract Surgery is not without complications however simple the surgery can be. Normally infection, bleeding and swelling follows cataract surgery. Some times cough or nausea is also reported by some patients.