Laser eye surgery has changed the lives of millions of people, transforming bad vision to good vision. Although not for everyone, laser eye surgery has become a popular and safe surgery choice for those who qualify. However, because eye surgery is still surgery, it is important to understand both the good and bad so you can make an informed decision.
The majority of people going through laser eye surgery have excellent results, often achieving 20/20 vision. As you can imagine, being able to wake up in the morning to see the alarm clock or things across the room is a wonderful experience, actually life changing. While healing time does play a role in the overall procedure, the results can be nothing less than miraculous.
On the other hand, laser eye surgery can affect some people in a negative way. Therefore, it is imperative you understand potential side effects from this surgery. For instance, some people will develop what is known as Post-Lasik Dry eye. This condition causes the eye to dry out, which is painful. To help, artificial tears are used several times a day to lubricate the eye. Typically, this condition lasts for about two months but in rare instances, the condition can be forever, meaning drops become a normal part of life.
Another potential side effect of laser eye surgery is the development of double or triple vision. Again, this very, rare condition affects only a small number of people having undergone this procedure. If the surgery is done by a skilled surgeon who has made the correct surgical assessment, the problem is virtually eliminated. Then, the loss of night vision is another possible side effect. If careful screening is performed first, this to can be eliminated.
A full assessment is the most important aspect of any laser eye surgery. The surgeon would need to determine the degree of vision in both eyes, as well as the overall health of the eyes. A good surgeon would know ahead of time of any potential problems that might increase the risk of problems, which is why choosing the doctor wisely is so important.
Need more info on what is laser eye surgery, visit our website at http://www.eyesurgeryfaq.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslie_Pinczi
August 28, 2007
Laser Eye Surgery Risks
Like all surgeries, laser eye surgery too has its own risks. No surgery is ever ‘risk free’. Certain complications arise, and in some cases, people suffer certain conditions after laser eye surgery. If you are contemplating laser eye surgery, you are well advised to know the risks involved:
Improper focusing of light
Laser eye surgery is centered on the pupil and any de-centered incision will result in improper focusing of light. Many lasers have an eye-tracking beam to reduce any possibility of de-centered ablation.
Accelerating cataract clouding
Although a natural occurrence brought on by age, cataract - the clouding of the crystalline lens - can be brought on faster by the invasive laser eye surgery.
Under correction due to room temperature
Temperature and humidity of the laser room, hydration of the cornea during surgery and calibration of laser could result in under-correction. This would require additional laser treatment after three months to allow the results to stabilize. Though rare, over-correction can change a myopic condition to a hyperopic condition. This too can be corrected with a further surgery.
Astigmatism
Some times surgery can cause Astigmatism. Although the reasons are not known, the alignment of the patient's eye and uniformity of the laser beam could be the reasons. This can be corrected by glasses or gas permeable contact lenses.
Loss of visual acuity
There could be loss of visual acuity. Assume that a pre-operative vision of 20/400 without glasses and contact lenses, and a 20/20 vision with them, improves after laser surgery to 20/30 without glasses and contact lenses, and 20/20 vision with thinner glasses and contact lenses. You would have lost visual acuity if the 20/30 post surgery vision cannot be improved even with glasses and contact lenses. This may happen in 5% of the low to medium Myopia patients.
Corneal haze condition
You could develop a corneal haze, a ground-glass like appearance, after laser eye surgery. A minor haze could be taken care with anti-inflammatory eye drops. A more dense haze may require re-surgery.
Decrease in night time vision
You may experience a decrease in night time vision, halos and star bursts etc. There may be reduced brightness and glare. In very rare cases, there is always a possibility of blindness and a probable sight-threatening infection, endophthalmitis.
Laser eye surgery is normally safe, but there is always a risk of post-operative infections. Normally, these do not have long term complications, and are usually treated with eye drops. If undecided about the risks of laser eye surgery, discuss the pros and cons with your ophthalmologist.
Read more on LASIK Facts to help you learn facts on LASIK eye surgery. Is LASIK surgery for you? Find out more. Also learn what you should and should not do to speed up LASIK recovery time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Arsendatama
Improper focusing of light
Laser eye surgery is centered on the pupil and any de-centered incision will result in improper focusing of light. Many lasers have an eye-tracking beam to reduce any possibility of de-centered ablation.
Accelerating cataract clouding
Although a natural occurrence brought on by age, cataract - the clouding of the crystalline lens - can be brought on faster by the invasive laser eye surgery.
Under correction due to room temperature
Temperature and humidity of the laser room, hydration of the cornea during surgery and calibration of laser could result in under-correction. This would require additional laser treatment after three months to allow the results to stabilize. Though rare, over-correction can change a myopic condition to a hyperopic condition. This too can be corrected with a further surgery.
Astigmatism
Some times surgery can cause Astigmatism. Although the reasons are not known, the alignment of the patient's eye and uniformity of the laser beam could be the reasons. This can be corrected by glasses or gas permeable contact lenses.
Loss of visual acuity
There could be loss of visual acuity. Assume that a pre-operative vision of 20/400 without glasses and contact lenses, and a 20/20 vision with them, improves after laser surgery to 20/30 without glasses and contact lenses, and 20/20 vision with thinner glasses and contact lenses. You would have lost visual acuity if the 20/30 post surgery vision cannot be improved even with glasses and contact lenses. This may happen in 5% of the low to medium Myopia patients.
Corneal haze condition
You could develop a corneal haze, a ground-glass like appearance, after laser eye surgery. A minor haze could be taken care with anti-inflammatory eye drops. A more dense haze may require re-surgery.
Decrease in night time vision
You may experience a decrease in night time vision, halos and star bursts etc. There may be reduced brightness and glare. In very rare cases, there is always a possibility of blindness and a probable sight-threatening infection, endophthalmitis.
Laser eye surgery is normally safe, but there is always a risk of post-operative infections. Normally, these do not have long term complications, and are usually treated with eye drops. If undecided about the risks of laser eye surgery, discuss the pros and cons with your ophthalmologist.
Read more on LASIK Facts to help you learn facts on LASIK eye surgery. Is LASIK surgery for you? Find out more. Also learn what you should and should not do to speed up LASIK recovery time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Arsendatama
3 Reasons You Should Do Eye Laser Surgery
There are a number of reasons why you should do eye laser surgery, but also many reasons why you shouldn't. This article examines those reasons, in order that you can make an informed decision if eye laser surgery (or Lasik) is right for you.
To start, we can discuss the conditions which are certainly treatable by Lasik, and mean that you could or you should do eye laser surgery.
Myopia or nearsightedness, hyperopia farsightedness or astigmatism are all treatable by eye laser surgery. As long as your vision has remained unchanged for at least two years, then you would probably experience benefit from having the procedure done.
There are some caveats to these though, and we can start with your age.
If you are under 18 years old, then eye laser surgery is most definitely not right for you. The FDA has not approved any laser for the use of LASIK for people under 18, because in all likelihood, your visions prescription will still be changing. There is also the legal argument that minors may not be able to sign a legal consent form.
There are also some other considerations.
You should be aware that eye laser surgery, like all other surgical procedures, does come with some risks attached to it, and your vision at the end may be less than perfect. Furthermore, it is possible that you may encounter side effects such as a 'glare' effect. If you are not willing to accept the potential risks, then eye laser surgery is not right for you.
Once the Lasik procedure has been completed, there will be a significant amount of time required to recover. In other words results will not be immediate. You will also need to follow a fairly strict regime of medications such as eye drops. If you feel unable to do this, then eye laser surgery is not right for you.
If you have any of the following conditions:-
* Diabetes
* Auto immune diseases
* If you are Immunocompromised at all
* Collagen vascular disease
Then you should not be considering to do eye laser surgery.
If you are taking any medications which might impair or prevent your natural healing, then you should not be considering to do eye laser surgery. The type of medications in question are steroids or immunosuppressants.
There are a number of existing eye conditions which also mean that you should not be considering to do eye laser surgery. Some of the conditions in question are as follows:-
* Keratoconus or other corneal thinning disorder
* Corneal scarring
* Glaucoma
* Cataracts
* A recent occurrence of ocular herpes.
* Retinal disease
* Dry eye
Any of these conditions should preclude you from undertaking eye laser surgery.
I hope this article has been of use, and you leave better informed about eye laser surgery than when you arrived. If you have doubts or questions, then always refer to your Lasik surgeon or doctor.
You can visit Charlie's website about eye laser surgery, to review information on 3 Reasons You Should Do Eye Laser Surgery.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Cory
To start, we can discuss the conditions which are certainly treatable by Lasik, and mean that you could or you should do eye laser surgery.
Myopia or nearsightedness, hyperopia farsightedness or astigmatism are all treatable by eye laser surgery. As long as your vision has remained unchanged for at least two years, then you would probably experience benefit from having the procedure done.
There are some caveats to these though, and we can start with your age.
If you are under 18 years old, then eye laser surgery is most definitely not right for you. The FDA has not approved any laser for the use of LASIK for people under 18, because in all likelihood, your visions prescription will still be changing. There is also the legal argument that minors may not be able to sign a legal consent form.
There are also some other considerations.
You should be aware that eye laser surgery, like all other surgical procedures, does come with some risks attached to it, and your vision at the end may be less than perfect. Furthermore, it is possible that you may encounter side effects such as a 'glare' effect. If you are not willing to accept the potential risks, then eye laser surgery is not right for you.
Once the Lasik procedure has been completed, there will be a significant amount of time required to recover. In other words results will not be immediate. You will also need to follow a fairly strict regime of medications such as eye drops. If you feel unable to do this, then eye laser surgery is not right for you.
If you have any of the following conditions:-
* Diabetes
* Auto immune diseases
* If you are Immunocompromised at all
* Collagen vascular disease
Then you should not be considering to do eye laser surgery.
If you are taking any medications which might impair or prevent your natural healing, then you should not be considering to do eye laser surgery. The type of medications in question are steroids or immunosuppressants.
There are a number of existing eye conditions which also mean that you should not be considering to do eye laser surgery. Some of the conditions in question are as follows:-
* Keratoconus or other corneal thinning disorder
* Corneal scarring
* Glaucoma
* Cataracts
* A recent occurrence of ocular herpes.
* Retinal disease
* Dry eye
Any of these conditions should preclude you from undertaking eye laser surgery.
I hope this article has been of use, and you leave better informed about eye laser surgery than when you arrived. If you have doubts or questions, then always refer to your Lasik surgeon or doctor.
You can visit Charlie's website about eye laser surgery, to review information on 3 Reasons You Should Do Eye Laser Surgery.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Cory
Be Aware Of These Laser Eye Surgery Complications
It is true that laser eye surgery is a safe and efficacious procedure for correcting a host of visual anomalies. However, as with any surgical procedure, refractive surgery has potential side effects or complications. Complications due to laser eye surgery may be classified into four categories – preoperative, intra-operative, early postoperative, and late postoperative. Peruse this article to have a clear understanding of the major complications associated with laser eye surgery.
One of the more frequently reported complications is dry eye. It has been reported that the surgery worsens the dry eye condition, where the tear gland’s capacity to produce tears is diminished. Another possible complication is over/under-correction, and in the worst case, loss of corrected vision. In the latter of the mentioned complications, the postoperative visual acuity is less than the preoperative one.
Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery may experience halos or starbursts around light sources at night. The eyes may experience abnormal light sensitivity and the patient may suffer from ghost vision or double vision. Then there are a few possible flap complications. A small microkeratome malfunction may result in an inappropriately cut flap. This in turn may lead to a number of different flap complications.
The most common among flap complications is flap dislocation, where the flap no longer rests on a hinge and is rather detached from the cornea. Another flap complication involves the appearance of folds in the flap. This hampers the natural healing process and typically necessitates repositioning of the flap. On the other hand, an awry healing procedure may result in debris or growth under the flap.
Though quite uncommon with the new breed of lasers, another possible complication is “de-centered ablation”. This pertains to an imprecise ablation of the corneal tissue because of an inaccurately focused laser. Another rare laser eye surgery complication is induced astigmatism.
The rapid enhancement in laser technology and other pertinent eye surgery equipment has reduced the complication rate to a meager 3%. This is also owing to an increase in the experience of eye surgeons. All in all, laser eye surgery is a potent procedure to correct a variety of refractive errors thereby enhancing a patient’s visual acuity.
The LASIK Surgeons Directory - find a LASIK surgery. Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news and views about LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Complications at Your Lasik Information.
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Your-LASIK.info
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Niall_Kennedy
One of the more frequently reported complications is dry eye. It has been reported that the surgery worsens the dry eye condition, where the tear gland’s capacity to produce tears is diminished. Another possible complication is over/under-correction, and in the worst case, loss of corrected vision. In the latter of the mentioned complications, the postoperative visual acuity is less than the preoperative one.
Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery may experience halos or starbursts around light sources at night. The eyes may experience abnormal light sensitivity and the patient may suffer from ghost vision or double vision. Then there are a few possible flap complications. A small microkeratome malfunction may result in an inappropriately cut flap. This in turn may lead to a number of different flap complications.
The most common among flap complications is flap dislocation, where the flap no longer rests on a hinge and is rather detached from the cornea. Another flap complication involves the appearance of folds in the flap. This hampers the natural healing process and typically necessitates repositioning of the flap. On the other hand, an awry healing procedure may result in debris or growth under the flap.
Though quite uncommon with the new breed of lasers, another possible complication is “de-centered ablation”. This pertains to an imprecise ablation of the corneal tissue because of an inaccurately focused laser. Another rare laser eye surgery complication is induced astigmatism.
The rapid enhancement in laser technology and other pertinent eye surgery equipment has reduced the complication rate to a meager 3%. This is also owing to an increase in the experience of eye surgeons. All in all, laser eye surgery is a potent procedure to correct a variety of refractive errors thereby enhancing a patient’s visual acuity.
The LASIK Surgeons Directory - find a LASIK surgery. Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news and views about LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Complications at Your Lasik Information.
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Your-LASIK.info
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Niall_Kennedy
Facts to Know About Laser Eye Surgery Including Lasik Eye Surgery
This page is dedicated to providing you with the knowledge you need when considering laser eye surgery. This procedure can be a bit intimidating for people and hopefully you will feel much more comfortable about it once you have read this. A popular procedure is lasik eye surgery which is intended to reduce your dependency on either your eyeglasses or contact lenses. Your best bet to get fully informed before having laser eye surgery is to go for an evaluation with your optometrist to see if you are a potential candidate for laser vision correction. Before moving forward you want to ensure that you are fully informed about the procedure.
Prior to the evaluation with your optometrist, stop wearing your contact lenses and only wear you eyeglasses for a minimum of 2 weeks before your appointment. Contacts actually change the shape of your cornea. By wearing eyeglasses only, your corneas ill go back to their natural shape. After your evaluation, your doctor will be able to determine if you are a good candidate for lasik eye surgery or any other laser eye surgery. They should then explain fully all the risks, benefits and other alternatives to laser vision correction. If you are unsure about anything, it is extremely important that you ask your doctor so that you are making a fully informed decision.
Laser eye surgery is virtually pain free as the cornea is anesthetized using special drops. There may be mild discomfort when the anesthetic wears off but this irritation should be minor and last only a few hours. Laser vision correction is a very quick procedure which can take between 15 and 40 seconds. Most patients notice an improvement within 3 to 5 days of having laser eye surgery. So whether you choose lasik eye surgery or any other type or procedure, make sure to do your research and consult a reputable clinic. It is critical that before undertaking anything like this, you are well educated and can go in with confidence.
Amy-Jo Strutt is a successful fashion writer and regular contributor to sunglasses-eyeglasses-contact-lenses.com, providing information on eyewear and eye surgery. http://www.sunglasses-eyeglasses-contact-lenses.com/laser-surgery.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy-Jo_Strutt
Prior to the evaluation with your optometrist, stop wearing your contact lenses and only wear you eyeglasses for a minimum of 2 weeks before your appointment. Contacts actually change the shape of your cornea. By wearing eyeglasses only, your corneas ill go back to their natural shape. After your evaluation, your doctor will be able to determine if you are a good candidate for lasik eye surgery or any other laser eye surgery. They should then explain fully all the risks, benefits and other alternatives to laser vision correction. If you are unsure about anything, it is extremely important that you ask your doctor so that you are making a fully informed decision.
Laser eye surgery is virtually pain free as the cornea is anesthetized using special drops. There may be mild discomfort when the anesthetic wears off but this irritation should be minor and last only a few hours. Laser vision correction is a very quick procedure which can take between 15 and 40 seconds. Most patients notice an improvement within 3 to 5 days of having laser eye surgery. So whether you choose lasik eye surgery or any other type or procedure, make sure to do your research and consult a reputable clinic. It is critical that before undertaking anything like this, you are well educated and can go in with confidence.
Amy-Jo Strutt is a successful fashion writer and regular contributor to sunglasses-eyeglasses-contact-lenses.com, providing information on eyewear and eye surgery. http://www.sunglasses-eyeglasses-contact-lenses.com/laser-surgery.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy-Jo_Strutt
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