How Laser Eye Surgery Works – Lasik And Photorefractive Eye Surgery

People with eye-related problems are becoming more and more interested in laser eye surgery and its benefits because this is known to be the most exciting ophthalmologic procedure.

To be more precise, this is a refractive eye surgery that can correct all types of refractive errors such as: astigmatism (distorted vision), myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).

Even if the medicine offers various types of surgical techniques for correcting refractive errors, the laser eye surgery was labelled by the American Academy of Ophthalmology the most technically advanced and precise one.

The excimer laser was the first laser ever approved for eye surgery and it´s used to correct myopia. Now, this laser is used in two different procedures: Laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) and Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK).

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

The surgeon maps and measures the patient´s eye before the procedure in order to analyse the problem. Then, he uses a few local anesthetic eye drops and reshapes the cornea eliminating tiny amounts of tissue from the outer surface.

Next, the doctor uses an ultra violet beam of light and cuts notches the size of human hair. Each pulse of light can remove a 39 millionth of an inch of cornel tissue in only 12 billionths of a second.

According to same studies, only 5% of the patients still use permanent glasses after the surgery while 15% need visual aids only when driving.

Laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)

The LASIK procedure is more complicated than PRK but it´s a solution for solving all types of myopia.

The surgeon uses the Microkeratome to cut a corneal tissue flap in order to replace it. Everything depends on the doctor because with LASIK he has to make a very precise incision.
The patient only feels a little discomfort and sometimes an irritation but those won´t last too long. In most cases, the patients returned to their normal life in only two or three days.

With LASIK there can be only one side effect and that is occasional glare at night.
Anyway, everyone should know that even if the results are said to be permanent, the age can influence the final results and in some cases the doctor may even suggested re-surgery.

Learn more facts about lasik surgery and where to get the best lasik treatment travel package at my lasik eye surgery site.

Corrective Laser Eye Surgery – Advances In Lasik Eye Surgery Procedures

In order to correct vision, surgeons use lasers to reshape the cornea by intervening on the tissues on the underlying or stromal layer. The medicine currently comprises two very effective types of laser eye surgery: the Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK) and the Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK).

In Photo Refractive Keratectomy, the doctor manually scrapes away the cornea and corrects the vision using an excimer laser. Unfortunately the epithelium layer will grow back in time, not to mention that the recovery period is longer than with LASIK.

On the other side, PRK procedure involves fewer risks because the surgeon doesn´t cut the cornea.

LASEK (Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileus) is the new and improved PRK and uses a solution with alcohol to soften the area before removing the epithelium. After the excimer laser reshapes the stroma, the surgeon replaces the epithelium. With LASEK the healing process is shorter than with PRK.

Next, LASEK developed into Epi-LASEK. The doctor preserves a living layer of the epithelium using a separator and after the vision is corrected with excimer laser, the layer is replaced. The healing process is even shorter now.

LASIK or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis cuts the cornea flap with a microkeratome metal blade, reshapes the eye with an excimer laser and repositions the flap. This procedure corrects vision right away and the patient will only experience some blurriness during the next 24-hours.

Custom Vue LASIK is pretty much the same thing as LASIK but it uses Wavefront software. The technology used is 25% more accurate than any standard method and is used to map the optical system and to guide the laser to change the stroma.

With Custom Intra LASIKthe flap is made using a femtosecond Intralase laser. Then with the help of Wavefront guidance the excimer laser corrects the visual errors.

According to the experts this is the most advanced procedure for corneal flap creation but unfortunately it is also the most expensive one.

Learn more about lasik eye surgery as well as the common lasik eye surgery problems.

My Experience with Lasik Surgery

Today I want to tell you about my personal experience with LASIK procedure and how LASIK in fact changed my life.

When I got to talk to the Lasik docotr, he was encouraging but realistic. He stated that one of my eyes would be a good candidate for total vision correction, but the other eye would likely see only some (though possibly major) improvement. He stated that about one of his Lasik procedures per month are with clients with the same level of poor vision of my worst eye.  So that made me feel good!  

I would also like to encourage those people with some problems to go ahead and visit their local Lasik center (in my case I went to the Denver Lasik Eye Surgery clinic and I can't complain!) to talk to the professionals there. As I mentioned earlier, I have had some occasional problems with dry eyes. I also have pupils that dilate easily. These conditions that I have with my eyes can be a possible cause of complication, but the doctor said that the conditions are not that severe to defer the procedure. Do go and discuss your individual case.

I cannot say that the information I was given made me totally relaxed about the whole procedure. Before I had the procedure done, I tried to reason with myself not to get it.  I followed all what the Lasik doctors told me to do  after the procedure, and I am so happy with the results! I could see much better even directly after the operation was over, and things have continued to improve. I personally do not have any of the problems that are often mentioned as effects, such as halos around lights, etc. I would strongly encourage anyone to be brave enough to go down to your Lasik center and at least talk about the Lasik procedure with a knowledgeable professional.

Lasik Eye Procedure – What Happens During A Lasik Eye Surgery

People that were forced to wear contacts or glasses all their life can now leave these aids behind by using a new and innovative LASIK procedure called the LASIK eye surgery.

This new type of refractive eye surgery can be risky but in most cases after detailed testing and consultation the final result is a good one. If you worry about the duration of the surgery, you should know that everything lasts only a few minutes but in order to obtain good results you should be very careful about the pre and post operative appointments.

It is very important to choose a good eye surgeon and after he evaluates he´ll establish the details of the procedure. He´ll let you know if you´re a good candidate or not, he´ll explain the procedure, the complications, the risks and the final result and together you´ll set the post-op appointment.

A few weeks before the LASIK eye procedure it´s recommended that you use only glasses and no contact lens because the shape of the cornea plays the most important role during evaluation.

When the procedure starts you´ll be sitting in a chair while the doctor will put numbing drops in your eyes. After he cleans up the area around the eyes, he´ll use a machine that will keep your eye lids open.

You might feel pretty weird because our eye lids are programmed to shut but if you stay relaxed you won´t feel a thing. The lasik eye surgeon use various types of machines and that´s why the level of discomfort can vary a lot from one patient to another.

Next, you´ll have to look straight into a laser placed over your eye while the surgeon will complete the procedure.

Everything happens very fast and the discomfort will only last a few seconds. All the above mentioned details sound scary and when you think that everything happens in the eye you might reconsider but you shouldn´t. LASIK eye procedure is very safe and most candidates leave the hospital with excellent results.

Wondering how much does lasik cost? Visit my lasik eye surgery site for more information.

A Clear Vision with Lasik Eye Surgery

Usually if we need our vision corrected we wear graded eyeglasses or contact lenses. These would work great and oftentimes solve our vision problems. But would it be great if there is some other way to see clearer. Eyeglasses tend to be awkward to use especially when you are engaged in physical activity. On the other hand, contact lenses are very troublesome to wear. You really need to maintain it a lot and if you are not careful this might irritate your eyes. Now there is a medical procedure that could improve you vision without going through the ordeals of having eyeglasses or contact lenses; this is the Lasik Eye surgery.

Lasik (laser-assisted in situ keartomileusis) is a type of lasik eye surgery used to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.  This technique was developed in the 1950’s by Dr Jose Barraquer of Spain. He is the one who developed the first microkeratome which is used to cut thin flaps on the cornea. In 1958 Dr. Mani Lal Bhaumik and some group of scientist developed the excimer laser. These discoveries lead to the enhancement of Lasik surgery which we know today.

This procedure could both benefit near-sighted and far-sighted people. For near-sightedness the corneas are usually flatten. For far-sighted people the goal is to make the cornea contour steeper. It could also smoothen out irregular corneas, which is the case for persons with astigmatism.

Before undergoing the procedure, patients with contact lenses are advised to stop wearing them for 5 to 7 days before surgery. Doctors then will  determine the thickness of your cornea by using a pachymeter. Using a topographer, the doctors will make a topographic map of your corneas. This will enable them to see the exact shape and contour of the cornea. It is needed so the doctor could determine the exact location and amount of the corneal tissue that will be removed.

The operation is performed in a clinical setting with a patient wide awake. A patient could be given a mild sedative (like valium) or some anesthetic eye drops.

The first thing that the doctor will do is to make a flap in the cornea. A corneal ring is applied to the eye so that it will be immobilized. Once immobilized a flap is created by using a mechanical microkeratome with a metal blade. A hinge must be left at the edge of the flap so that it could be folded back; this procedure could be irritating. Once it is folded back it will reveal the middle section of the cornea which is the stroma.

The second part is where the excimer laser will cut off excess tissue of the stroma. Removal of tissue is done is microns and no heat is generated during this procedure.

Finally the flap is returned back again to its original position. The flap does not need to be sutured back into place as it will heal and adhere naturally

After all this the patient could continue back to his or her normal life with an assurance of a much clearer vision ahead.

Understanding Facts about Lasik Surgery

The term LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileuses. LASIK eye surgery is a medical procedure performed on a patient who has eye problems. These eye problems can be any of the following: being farsighted or nearsighted, and astigmatism. Furthermore, LASIK eye surgery is performed so that a person with any of the aforementioned eye problems would not have to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. Nowadays, LASIK eye surgery is one of the most common medical procedures that an eye doctor performs on a patient.

Obviously there are still a lot of people with concerns regarding Lasik and these is based on the larged amount of LASIK doctors available now a day. LASIK surgery is a procedure that reshaped the cornea permanently. This is because a rounded “flap” is created on the cornea. Afterwards, with the use of laser or an instrument called the ‘microkeratome’, there is a part of the eye which will be vaporized to correct the eye problem.

LASIK eye surgery has become quite popular in the medical circle because of its painless-free operation. One more advantage that it has over other medical procedures to correct an imperfect vision is that the results are instantaneous. Right after the operation, you just need to let a day or two pass and you will see a definite improvement with your vision. However, there are some disadvantages to this type of medical procedure. First concern is with the cost of the procedure - it's one of the most expensice medical procedure these days.

Second, just like any other medical operation, there are complications that the patient may suffer in the aftermath of the operation. Third, some job types will not allow an employee to undergo any form of eye surgery. If you decide to go for LASIK eye surgery, you need to do your part and research so that you will know everything about the procedure. Also, have a thorough talk with your doctor so that you would know what to do before the operation. Finally, you can ask about the results and improvements with your vision problem right after your LASIK eye surgery.

How Serious is Laser Eye Surgery Complications?

As recent as in the last few years, laser eye surgery has become a very popular alternative to people who has been dependent on their eye glasses or contact lenses all their lives.

In a rush to leave their glasses and contact lenses behind people are rushing for this new treatment. Likewise wee see lasik eye surgery treatment centers and private clinics mushrooming in every cities.

What many people are unaware of is that there is risk involved in the surgery procedures. A laser surgery is not for everyone.

The procedure is not suitable to some people due to their health and medical condition. The eye surgeon would normally advise the patient during consultation if they are the right candidate for the surgery.

Laser eye surgery complications does exist to a certain degrees. Although the percentage is very very small and almost negligible.

May be most people might have thought of complications in terms of serious consequences such as blindness or serious infections.

The fact is that the most common complications or rather side effects is called regression. Regression is simply your eye sight vision turns back to the state before the surgery.

This includes blurred vision again or your eyes might become very sensitive to lights and also another problem is dry eyes that could become painful at times.

So mistakes do happen sometimes due to eye doctors misjudgment or patients willingness to take risk despite chances of higher risk in some people.

The bottom line is to get yourself educated with all the fact and figures before jumping into the surgery room. Find the eye doctor with the right credential and experience to work with.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and clear any doubt that you have during the screening process. This is very important in order to determine the right surgery procedures that you need.

Majority of people have a great success with laser eye surgery. The failure rate is far too small to outweight the success stories.

Dealing with LASIK Complications

Though rare, there are still LASIK surgery patients that complain about post surgical problems. However, if you have an experienced surgeon by your side, the rate of surgical complications is greatly reduced. Common sense aside, one should base their decisions on the actual facts reported by their treatment provider. Overall, the number of complications are generally reported to be less than 1%. Most of the reported problems are handled through laser re-treatments or enhancements.

In order to understand the kind of complications people have, you should understand what a LASIK treatment is all about. During LASIK surgery a laser beam is used to cut a very thin, hinged flap into the front of the eye. The flap is then lifted and the laser is applied to re-shape the eye, and then the flap is replaced to heal.

Some of the more common types of LASIK complications are improperly formed LASIK flaps: Sometimes after the first surgery, a patient might experience an improperly formed flap. This might create an irregular surface and cause various vision defects. In such cases, LASIK surgery needs to be repeated one or more times to make the eye surface smooth. That's why you really need to speak to LASIK doctors about these sort of issues to understand the risks involved here.

Inflamation - The area where the flap touches the eye can sometimes swell post LASIK surdery. Such a condition, is called diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK). The symptoms are as varied as high sensitivity to light and loss of vision .

Epithelial In growth - If there is any kind of initial swelling in the eye it might create a common LASIK complication called Epithelial in growth. This condition can be best described as a type of scarring which leads to an irregular eye surface and other vision distortions. In such a condition the surgeon lifts the flap and scrapes out the epithelial growth from inside. This is certainly not a full proof method. It has been noticed that in many cases the epithelial in growth reoccurs.

Some other common types of Lasik Eye Surgery complications include dry eye, infections, and night vision problems such as glaring around the lights.

LASIK surgeons know that technological advancement can reduce the post LASIK procedure complications. People who have had a history of eye complications or infections are not advised to go for these surgeries.

10 Cardinal Rules After Laser Surgery.

Laser eye surgery unlike other surgical procedures are normally almost a painless experience. You are awake and aware of what is going on during the procedure. The procedures itself normally takes only around 10 to 15 minutes.

Nevertheless there are still some simple do it yourself eye care treatment that you have to follow. Also there are some action that could be dangerous to your eyes that you have to avoid.

Here are 10 basic rules of what you should and should not do after the surgery.

1) First and foremost do not skip your follow up treatment with your eye doctor. Follow up appointment is very important to check up your eyes and make sure that the surgery was successful and also to detect if there is any negative side effects.

2) Use the medicated eye drops that was prescribed by your eye doctor. Follow the direction as to how often and how long you should use them.

3) If your doctor prescribed you with medication such as antibiotic or anti inflammatory, do take them according to your doctors instructions.

4) Keep your hands away from your eyes. No excessive touching or rubbing. Use your eye drops to relief your eyes from itchiness.

5) When taking a bath make sure that no soap or water will enter your eyes. Avoid swimming or bath tub shower or any other activities that expose water to your eyes.

6) Plan to look like a secret service for some time. Always keep a pair of dark sunglasses with you. You may need it at any time when you are outdoors. Your eyes are still very sensitive to sunlight and you want to avoid your eyes from Ultra Violet Light exposure. Also keep your eyes from any bright light.

7) For ladies, try not to apply any facial makeup for some time. Chemical ingredients in your makeup could irritate skin around your eyes and may lead to eye infections.

8) Avoid any games or activities that require rough physical contact. Your eyes still need some time to be well adjusted.

9) Make sure to wear eye goggles when you go to sleep. Your eyes need to be protected from any unintentional harm or injury while sleeping.

10) Avoid watching television, doing work on the computer or reading during the first 24 hours after the surgery. Spend more time lying down relax and close your eyes.

Normally you could be back to work within one to three days after the surgery. Again it depends on the case by case basis, since every surgery is different so does every patients.

The above recommendations are the basic precautions that everyone should take after eye laser surgery in order to avoid any complications that might occur and also for fast recovery.

Vision Care for the Diabetic

There are a numbers of diseases in which the eyes are at risk of harm.  Diabetes is a disease that has the capability to cause visual problems and even blindness.  Knowing this, your doctor will want to monitor your eyesight regularly.

The way in which diabetes affects the eyes is; that while the pancreas can't produce the insulin required to balance the sugar, this break down of sugars and starches affects the flow of blood effectively.  With a decreased flow of blood to the nerves in the eyes, the flow of oxygen is diminished.  When an organ does not receive adequate oxygen, it begins to kill off nerve endings that are required to sustain the organ's function.  This also affects the eyes.

Depending on the type of diabetes you have your doctor will want to make every effort to ensure you are taking care of all your vital organs and again, this includes your eyes.  The lack of oxygen can cause eye diseases such as retinopathy which causes damage to the retina, or it may cause cataracts, or glaucoma.  Diseases such as this may ultimately cause blindness if left untreated.

Symptoms may not be immediately obvious, therefore when you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is imperative to have them looked at often.  It isn't until the symptoms have gotten so bad many people see their doctor.  By the time they are seen, the damage may already be irreversible.

Knowing some symptoms ahead of time could be of great help.  If you are unsure what to watch for, don't be afraid to ask your doctor or optician.  That's what they are there for. 

Some ways to help prevent your eyes from being affected by diabetes is to;

1. Have your eyes tested regularly
2. Do what is required to keep your sugar balance in check.  If this becomes a problem you should have it checked and your eyes should be a part of what they check.
3. Good nutrition.  A healthy diet as prescribed by your practitioner can help immensely.  Not only in the balance of your sugar, but it also allows for healthy flow of your blood and carries the oxygen required to the organs effectively.
4. Exercise.  Doing what you can to keep the blood pumping can help too.  Your practitioner can help you devise a plan that will suit you best.
5. Avoid smoking and alcohol.  These can cause poor circulation in your blood and minimize the flow of oxygen your organs so desperately need.  Your body is already dealing with a sugar imbalance problem; don't give it more to fight against.

When should you see your doctor?  If at any time you have questions or concerns you should see your doctor.  You can ask for help if you experience any blurriness, seeing of spots or see lights flashing, (any abnormal disturbances) and for certain, if at any time you should lose the vision of an eye or both, see your physician immediately.  Even if it's for a short period of time, this could be a sign you don't want to ignore.

With all the things you need to deal with having diabetes, whether type 1 or 2, it's always best to take care of your self and see your practitioner often.  The best form of prevention is action.  Don't leave things to chance and don't ignore symptoms you are experiencing, even if it seems silly.  There is simply nothing silly about losing your eyesight.

Take care of your eyes; they depend on you, as much as you depend on them.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is designed for educational purposes only and should not be used in any other manner. This information is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. Nor is it a diagnosis or treatment.

Ruth's passions are people and pet health. She is a wife, a stepmom a dog owner and a business person. Naturally Rebuilding Vision is a new interest Ruth has delved into. Get A Free Report And Join Our Free Lesson-Vision Tip Series:
http://www.rebuild-your-vision.com

This article is not meant to diagnose or treat.  This article is strictly for your information.  Always consult a professional.

 

 

Regain Your Eye Health

When it comes to the eye health and natural vision improvement, most of the people avoid natural vision correction methods and give much more preference to the doctors or eye specialist.

Natural eye exercises are not the perfect solution to these problems, but still it is better to adopt some natural methods, because they provide a limited satisfaction and do not have any side effects of the medicines. Natural eye exercises strictly avoid the eye problems which are like a hurdle in the day to day life.

There are many solutions to this only problem. After lot many research studies, it has been acclaimed that, there are exercises which can be more then helpful in fighting and deteriorating this eye sight problem to provide a clear visionary power. In medical terms, these solutions are referred as vision correction and vision rebuilding. However, in terms of natural treatment, the names of exercises are so common that someone may not believe that these exercises are extremely helpful in improving the natural vision power.

The recommended exercises for the rebuilding the natural visionary power include:

Walk- Walking has been defined as the best possible solution for the re growth of the natural visionary power. Walking if done in the morning and that too on the green lush grass would be more preferable, because this treatment has been admired by the scientists as well. Medical sciences also believe that, walking in the morning is very beneficial for the eyes and also it has many other advantages.

Breath- Breathing sounds very weird as a solution for the eyesight weakness because usually everyone thinks that what connection could be there between the breath and eyes. But as per the medical sciences reports, eyes are one of the major oxygen consuming parts of the body.  There are persons who do not breathe properly and comfortably and hence faces eyesight problems and their eyes problem can be resolved as soon as they start breathing properly and adopt it as a habit.

Targeting- Targeting here does not mean that practicing on the target board, but it means focusing on the tiny things through which one gains the ability to focus. For example, first of all focus a tree and after that target on a particular branch and slowly focus on a leaf and at last target the tip of that particular leaf. This will increase the ability to focus and shift the sight at a glance.

Ruth's passions are people and pet health. She is a wife, a stepmom a dog owner and a business person. Naturally Rebuilding Vision is a new interest Ruth has delved into. Get A Free Report And Join Our Free Lesson-Vision Tip Series:
http://www.rebuild-your-vision.com

This article is not meant to diagnose or treat.  This article is strictly for your information.  Always consult a professional.