Posts Tagged ‘surgery’

A Guide to LASEK Eye Surgery

LASEK surgery is a form of laser eye surgery that corrects refractive errors by reshaping the cornea – to this day, thousands of people the world over have benefited from this revolutionary procedure. LASEK eye surgery is performed on patients whose corneas are either too thin or too flat for LASIK eye surgery, but both procedures offer the same results in vastly improved vision and negate the need for glasses or contact lenses.

Who Can Benefit From LASEK Eye Surgery?

Patients who suffer from refractive errors will be delighted to learn that LASEK eye surgery can once and for all allow them to live life with more freedom and no longer rely on corrective eyewear.

LASEK eye surgery can be used to treat the following refractive errors:

  • Short-sightedness (myopia) – This eye condition results from the cornea being slightly rounder and shorter than it should be. Due to this, the light that enters the eye converges just in front of the retina, meaning that suffers experience difficulty when trying to see a clear image at a distance. Through LASEK eye surgery, the shape of the cornea is corrected and the light is made to focus precisely on the retina – meaning that the blurred images at a distance will become a thing of the past, eliminating the effects of short-sightedness!
  • Long-sightedness (hyperopia) – Patients who suffer from hyperopia have a cornea that is slightly flatter and shorter than it should be. This results in a blurred image because the light that enters the eye focuses on a point just behind the retina. Most people who suffer from this refractive error rely on glasses on contact lenses, but through LASEK eye surgery, the effects of hyperopia can be permanently corrected. That means no more headaches and straining eyes to get objects – both near and far – into focus.
  • Astigmatism – In this case, the cornea is a more conical shape than it should be – this means that light enters at different angles through this cone. This creates two points of focus and ultimately a blurred image. Although this condition is slightly more complex than myopia or hyperopia, using the right technology, virtually all astigmatism symptoms can be treated through LASEK eye surgery.

What Does the LASEK Procedure Involve?

A patient is deemed an appropriate candidate for LASEK eye surgery when they suffer from one of the above mentioned refractive errors and usually because their cornea is not thick enough to withstand LASIK eye surgery. During the LASEK procedure, an ophthalmic surgeon focuses of the preservation of the corneal epithelium. In this way, the procedure differs from both LASIK and as the surgeon does not create a corneal flap or scrape and remove the epithelium.

LASEK treats the epithelium with a diluted alcohol solution which loosens it; the surgeon then rolls the epithelium tissue back and works with a laser to reshape the exposed corneal tissue beneath. The surgeon then simply smoothly rolls back the epithelium cells in their new reshaped position.

What Happens After Laser Eye Surgery?

Recovery time from LASEK eye surgery tends to take slightly longer than that of LASIK, but in the hands of expert surgeons, the visual outcomes are the same. Patients experience vast vision improvement with maximum convenience.

Post-treatment, patients are usually prescribed medicated eye drops which aid the healing process and relieve any temporary discomfort during this time. For about the first week, patients are given a night shield to wear when sleeping, which prevents any accidental rubbing of the eyes. In some cases, patients are fitted with soft contact lenses to give further protection to the healing eyes.

Patients who undergo LASEK eye surgery will find they have a newfound freedom as they no longer have to rely on glasses or the deal with the hassles of contact lenses or spectacles. Due to their vast visual improvement, many patients say that their self-esteem is boosted, along with their confidence!

The London Vision Clinic is leading laser eye surgery clinic in the UK, boasting world-class ophthalmic surgeons who expertly perform LASIK and LASEK eye surgery. If you suffer from a refractive error and are considering LASEK eye surgery, contact one of the Patient Education Consultants at the London Vision Clinic today to set up a screening to determine your suitability for the procedure.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/a-guide-to-lasek-eye-surgery-1675407.html

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Why You Do Not Have To Fear A Lasik Surgery

Thinking about eye surgery using a Lasik procedure is a big step, and many people are a little hesitant to ask the questions that they have. The Lasik procedure, though widely talked about, is not discussed in detail, and people tend to fear the unknown. This article addresses some of the more commonly held fears, and talks about the experience for the vast majority of people that undergo a Lasik procedure.

One of the most common fear, both when it comes to the Lasik surgery and any operation in general is the fear of pain during and after the surgery. When a Lasik surgery is performed the eye is applied with numbing drops. The patient also receives a mild sedative so they can relax and feel comfortable. So even though you may feel a minor pressure to the eye, it is relatively pain free

The surgeon does use a laser in the eye to help reshape the cornea during the Lasik procedure. Many folks are worried about the laser being shone directly into the eye, or that they might look away and, due to this, develop a serious complication with their eyes and the Lasik laser beam effects. In actuality, the laser is only active for ten to fifteen seconds for each eye, and the Lasik machine has a tracking system that allows the beam to be on only when the eye is in the correct position.

Another general fear for people contemplating a medical procedure is fear of “the scalpel”. Any Lasik procedure uses only a very small microkeratome blade to approach the eye, or some more recent Lasik innovations have the laser itself created the flap and avoid using any hard surface at all. There is no reason to be concerned about a scalpel, for the Lasik physician does not use one.

Many wonder about the horror stories they hear about this or any other operation, and wonder about serious consequences like going blind. According the government statistics taken by the FDA, there are no reported cases of blindness due to a Lasik operation.

Actually, the risk of a serious permanent complication due to the Lasik procedure is less than 1 percent, and the risk of any permanent complications even if not serious (such as light halos) is 3 percent or less. It is extremely rare for a patient to not have improved vision after a Lasik procedure.

If the fact that you are awake and your eyes are open during the operation bothers you, just remember that you are given a mild sedative and your eyes will be dripped with numbing drops.

Is it more the thought about the Lasik physician’s hand close to the eye that bothers you? Then just think about that your eyes will be applied with drops that make your vision black out for the ten to fifteen seconds the operation takes.

Martin Elmer is writing about eye surgery in Laser oejenoperation. You can read about LASIK, LASEK, LASEK, Wavefront and Aspheric treatment in Grøn stær.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/why-you-do-not-have-to-fear-a-lasik-surgery-1676648.html

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Long Term Effects of LASIK and PRK Are Encouraging

The long term side effects of refractive surgery have been a concern for all patients and doctors alike. When Radial Keratotomy(RK) was being performed; there were many unknowns. Flattening the corneas with radial corneal incisions stretched the endothelial layer decreasing its’ ability to pump water out of the cornea. While most RK surgeons were not worried about the long term corneal hydration, questions did remain as to what would occur years after the procedure.

These RK patients do have corneal issues 10 plus years later. Their corneas often display a brownish line in the bottom half indicating iron left behind when the endothelial pump removes fluid from the cornea. In addition, most of these patients are far sighted with astigmatism and their prescription gets stronger later in the day. This makes it difficult to have an accurate eye glass prescription. Weakness of the cornea also increases the risk of corneal rupture when exposed to trauma.

LASIK and PRK do not flatten out the entire width of the cornea thus leaving the endothelial layer intact. This does not affect the pump or the functioning of the physiology of the corneal tissue. Therefore negative corneal changes that are displayed in RK patients should not occur in the LASIK and PRK patients.

According to an article published in the November issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, there are no long term destructive corneal effects following LASIK and PRK. The study examined 29 myopic LASIK and PRK patients 9 years after the surgery and found them to display no abnormal changes. There was a 5.3% decrease in the endothelial cell density which corresponds to a normal cell decrease in individuals that never had the refractive procedure.

While the study did not examine far sighted post operative patients, they concluded that the results would be similar to the near sighted patients. Whereas post operative RK patients displayed corneal changes after 5 years, the LASIK and PRK patients did not show any signs after 9 years. Further studies must be conducted at longer post op intervals to fully examine the long term effects, but this initial study is very encouraging.

Dr. Jay B Stockman is a practicing doctor for http://newyorkvisionassociates.com, and a contributing expert for VisionUpdate.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/long-term-effects-of-lasik-and-prk-are-encouraging-1678212.html

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LASIK Eye Surgery and Eye Health

LASIK eye surgery is used to reshape the cornea in order to correct vision. The LASIK refractive eye surgery procedure can treat myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism, and can reduce your dependency on eye glasses and contact lenses. Patients who suffer from myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism experience blurred vision. LASIK eye surgery offers you an effective treatment to improve your eye’s focusing power and enhance your vision.

What Makes a Good Candidate for LASIK?

A good candidate for LASIK eye surgery should be at least eighteen years old, have no change in refraction for at least one year and have realistic goals and expectations regarding the results of the surgery. Anyone with an eye infection or injury within the previous year should forego LASIK eye surgery. Your eye surgeon or ophthalmologist is the best one to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure after a thorough examination and consultation.

The Risks and Benefits of LASIK

LASIK eye surgery benefits include improved vision, and freedom from eye glasses and contact lenses. This freedom from eyewear means you can perform every day functions and even participate in sports, swim, spend a comfortable day on a sandy beach or go mountain climbing without the restrictions eye glasses and contact lenses impose on you. LASIK eye surgery is an effective and safe treatment experienced by millions of people. A small number of people, one to five percent, may experience LASIK complications. Risks of LASIK eye surgery may include:

Recent advances in LASIK technology have dramatically reduced the risks of these complications and most problems can easily be rectified with additional treatment. LASIK eye surgery is typically nearly painless with most people complaining of only mild discomfort.

LASIK eye surgery is the most frequently performed vision surgery in the United States. Over one million people have LASIK eye surgery every year with excellent results. LASIK eye surgery is performed in less than fifteen minutes with most experiencing improved vision immediately.

If you are interested in learning more about LASIK eye surgery and how it can improve your quality of life, please visit the website of Dr. Gary Kawesch, LASIK eye surgeon at the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley today.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/lasik-eye-surgery-and-eye-health-1687862.html

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Positive and Negative Reviews of LASIK

As a saying goes, every coin has two sides, opinions on LASIK vary from person to person. Some may hold that LASIK is a miracle that is able to make one see a clearing world waking up one day in the morning; while some may hold that LASIK is not good, complaining some post-operative symptoms.

As the case stands, either positive review or negative review depends on who you ask and no answer is authoritative and in full range for the reason that massive majority of all the LASIK reviews are not only positive but improve a person’s quality of life.

People having positive opinions describe LASIK to be wonderful, because having 20/20 vision is just a dream for most Americans who wear glasses. A LASIK surgery makes them no longer have to fumble around for their glasses or contact lenses, and they are able to lead a life as before when they were in good eyesight. The experience of consistent pushing up the glasses on noses and wearing and taking off contacts everyday has gone.

Although LASIK wins a large outpouring of favorable comments, certain amount of risks concerning LASIK are involved and some people give not so good comments. But they just list some events but never describe in details and seldom offer advices. Therefore, as a reporter, I’d like to read more negative reviews and look into some complaints. And if they are truly a problem I will report to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for solution.

The good news is that majority of the reviews from both the patients and doctor are positive, which demonstrates that LASIK surgery, as a newly emerged in modern times, indeed serves us a lot.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/positive-and-negative-reviews-of-lasik-1674387.html

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