By: David Fishman

Many people have heard the term LASIK but do not know what it stands for. The proper interpretation is Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis The procedure reshapes the cornea which is permanent by using a laser to do the surgery. The procedure is carried out by an ophthalmologist, with the aid of sophisticated computer-controlled equipment.

How the Surgery Works. Before you decide that LASIK surgery is right for you, make sure that you know all the facts, and how they might affect you. Before committing to the surgery patients should look into what lasik is and what it can do for vision. Lasik eye surgery has been big news on the vision front. If you are contemplating LASIK eye surgery, you are not alone. This surgery can help to eliminate your need for glasses or contact lenses.

If you’re like many you were just born with blurred vision, and have had to deal with the hassles of glasses or contacts for a time that is too long to remember. Although nearsightedness can be easily fixed with glasses or contact lenses (when not too severe), many people don’t like to hassle with either one. LASIK laser eye surgery helps with the shaping of the cornea; once the cornea is re-shaped it will help in the reliance of wearing contacts or glasses.

Many people get the corrective surgery because they just don’t want to wear glasses or contacts anymore, many people have been wearing them their whole lives. As an instance of Snellen measurement, people with 20/40 vision can see clearly at 20 feet what people with 20/20 vision can see clearly at 40 feet.

It is gravely necessary to choose the best surgeon available. Experience is what counts the most, so choose a surgeon with plentiful experience. If so, then you need to be sure that you know how to pick the right surgeon for you and what to expect during your surgery. You can easily negotiate with your surgeon about spreading the costs over a specific period.

Before you can get the surgery you will need to go for a surgical consultation, they will measure your eyes take pictures to make sure you are suited for the surgery, if everything checks out ok the doctor will let you know if you are a candidate for surgery.

LASIK is performed by placing a ring over the cornea, this will be an applied using high pressure to lift the cornea off the eye, and this may feel slightly painful. These tests are designed to let the surgeon know how much work the cornea needs to have done. LASIK eye surgery involves cutting a flap of the corneal tissue with a hinge being left at one end of the flap. Since the risk is great after surgery the patient must go home and wear the eye patches and not touch the eyes, if the flap of the eye moves before healing the can give way to infection or not seeing clearly.

Before going for LASIK, have your surgeon explain to you what these risks are. There are both benefits and risks to this surgery, and you should be aware of all of them before you decide to have the treatment. You should also know the risks as well as the costs of the procedures. When getting surgery there is always risks and benefits, make sure you read up on the procedures and do research so you understand what is about to happen and how it will affect your eyesight.

The cost depends on several factors and varies from one provider to another. The cost of LASIK continues to come down in price.

Source: http://www.article-buzz.com/Article/Wake-Up-And-See-Again-With-Surgery/37798

By: Wealthsuccess

By: Clint Jhonson

By: Chris V Montgomery

Curiosity hounds would probably probe quickly upon reading the title here and ask: what is a Denver Lasik eye surgery operation anyway? Simply put, the Denver Lasik is a form of eyesight correction treatment that relies on the skills of an eye surgeon at manipulating the laser used so that after treatment the patient no longer needs to use contact lenses or eyeglasses to see clearly. To call it a Denver Lasik treatment only means that you undergo the Lasik laser eye surgery in a Denver clinic or by a Denver eye doctor.

The Lasik in the term Denver Lasik is the acronym for the much longer name of the operation, which happens to be Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. The Denver Lasik is classified as a form of refractive surgery done under the hands of an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor.) The advantage with a Denver Lasik is that the patient recovers much more quickly (compared to other eye treatment options). It is said that a Denver Lasik is also not as painful as other eye treatment procedures.

There are three main forms of eye disorders that can be corrected by a Denver Lasik operation. The first – astigmatism – is the result when the corneal surface of the eyeball itself has irregularities so that light is not focused properly by the cornea and the patient experiences blurry vision. A person with astigmatism will not be able to discern the fine details of objects so that the patient has to wear contact lenses or prosthetic lenses. A Denver Lasik operation can correct this by actually altering the curvature of the cornea via a laser passing over the eye itself.

The second type of eye condition that a Denver Lasik aims to cure is called hyperopia. When a patient has hyperopia, basically he is farsighted. It means the patient has problems focusing on nearby objects but can see distant objects quite clearly. Traditionally, a person with hyperopia would have to wear corrective glasses all his life. But with Denver Lasik, the person gains more normal eyesight so that glasses are no longer necessary.

The last type of eye condition a Denver Lasik is meant to correct would be myopia. You have often heard the phrase “myopic point of view” right? It is the opposite of hyperopia and means that the patient finds distant objects hard to see, but nearby objects are seen quite clearly. Denver Lasik surgery is also supposed to make myopic patients not have to wear glasses anymore.

Is the Denver Lasik a safe form of refractive surgery? Well, there are admittedly some potential side effects to Denver Lasik eye surgery. One proven side effect is that the Denver Lasik laser will make your cornea thinner – kind of like carving away a layer of your corneal surface to change how light hits your eye. This can make it difficult for eye doctors to accurately check for intraocular pressure measurements. Sometimes, despite precautions, Denver Lasik surgery can have complications anyway. The problem with developing side effects is that the Denver Lasik procedure is irreversible so complications are also irreversible.

Still, up to 92% of the patient population that has undergone Denver Lasik has reported being satisfied with the results – a remarkably high number for an expensive operation.

Source: http://www.article-buzz.com/Article/Should-I-Undergo-A-Denver-Lasik-Eye-Surgery-Operation-/95445

By: Danna Schneider

I remember the first time I read about a new term that was introduced into our lexicon here in the US recently, called “medical tourism”. I didn’t even know there was such a trend occurring, although as I read further about this increasingly popular pursuit, it made perfect sense. You see, here in the US we are facing, and have been facing for several years now, somewhat of a healthcare crisis.

There are scores more US citizens that are not insured than are insured at any given time, and that translates into a lot of people who are paying exorbitant doctors visit, surgery and treatment fees when they need medical attention, and an even bigger number of people who simply don’t seek medical attention when they need it because they know they can’t afford it.

Even if you have insurance, the cost of the premiums is going up higher every year, and even the co-pays are reaching higher numbers than ever seen.

Today, it is more of a rarety to have “a great insurance plan” than it was just ten years ago. Add into that, the fact that here in the US, our physicians, specialists, plastic surgeons, dentists, psychiatrists, and every other licensed and practicing medical professional are exposed to lawsuits that threaten to bankrupt them for malpractice. Add to that their skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums, and you’ve got a full fledged medical crisis on your hands.

This is exactly the reason why more and more US citizens are travelling to get cheaper medical care. Many times, even after the costs of travel, these citizens are savings boatloads of money on their medical treatments and surgeries in other countries with equally well trained doctors, but a much lower cost.

The medical tourism industry is just now starting to catch on, and shows signs that it will become a boon for foreign travel, and may even be a solicited “main attraction” in many far away destinations, in order to get eager US citizens to their country, spending money to get medical and elective care that they otherwise may not be able to afford here in the US.

It ends up being a great win/win that way, but it still doesn’t take away from the disturbing fact that the US is experiencing the worst healthcare system crisis in its history.

The largest industries for medical tourism at the moment seem to be for the fields of plastic surgery and dentistry. Many of the South American countries can offer much cheaper prices for tourists who are coming over to get procedures that would cost thousands of dollars here in the US, and to boot, they would be getting the same caliber of care.

Heck, they even say that some of the best plastic surgeons in the world practice in Brazil and Costa Rica, where plastic surgery is a booming business, doctors there are highly trained and skilled due to experience, and the cost is often times slashed in half or even better, after US money exchange rates and the cheaper rate are added in.

Colombia and the Phillipines are both notorious also for extremely cheap plastic surgery, dentistry, and other types of health care procedures, and are trying to edge into the industry to attract more visitors to their countries, which in turn helps out local economies and opens up a lot of further tourism development. US citizens aren’t the only ones taking advantage of travelling to get cheaper health care and surgeries.

Citizens in Britain are also getting in on the action so they can get access to cheaper dental work, laser eye surgery, and even bariatric surgery. The business of cosmetic surgery probably gets the most publicity when it comes to medical tourism, but there are a lot of other fields in which one can get medically related services for a fraction of the cost in these countries that most people don’t know about - yet.

Travelling for medical and surgical care, whether it’s considered elective or not can result in a dramatic price reduction, you just have to do the research and see if, added with the costs associated with travelling, it will actually save you money in your particular case or not.

Of course it’s not always going to add up to a dramatic savings when it’s all said and done, so make sure you thoroughly research and consider all other potential costs of travelling before you make a final decision.

Source: http://www.article-buzz.com/Article/Why-Medical-Tourism-is-Gaining-Popularity/101130

By: Peter Sams

Laser eye surgery is the most commonly practiced procedure to correct vision problems caused by refractive errors, including myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision when looking at objects at any distance).

There are different types of laser eye surgery. LASIK - laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis – is one of the most common. Many patients who have LASIK end up with 20/20 vision. But, like all medical procedures, it has both risks and benefits. Only your eye doctor can tell if you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery.

Laser Eye Surgery for Laser Vision Correction, such as LASIK, Custom LASIK, PRK, LASEK, Epi-LASIK and other specialized LASIK Eye Surgery procedures offer those who have nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism the possibility of freedom from the hassle of eyeglasses and contact lenses. This requires that patients participate in their care by becoming educated consumers as well as patients.

During laser eye surgery, a surgeon uses a laser device to make permanent changes to the shape of the cornea. The laser used most often is the Excimer laser, which produces a beam of ultraviolet light to vaporize tissue. Surgically altering the shape of the cornea can correct mild to moderate refractive errors in most people.

Laser Eye Surgery in general, the procedure itself, LASIK surgeons and their experience and education, practice locations, understanding the costs and potential risks and complications. Also, in order to make up to date information and current thoughts about Laser Eye Surgery procedures readily available, we have included a LASIK News & Updates section that will present selected summaries of noteworthy publications, case reports and research that might be useful in your overall personal education and decision process.

Types of Laser Eye Surgery

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

LASIK is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. In LASIK, a thin flap in the cornea is created using either a microkeratome blade or a second laser. The surgeon fold backs the flap, and then removes some corneal tissue underneath using an excimer laser. The flap is then laid back in place, covering the area where the corneal tissue was removed.

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A knife, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea.

When the vast majority of patients seriously consider Laser Eye Surgery it is common to encounter a number of different personal reasons why they do not wish to proceed. Usually these reasons can be separated into two categories-fear and cost.

PRK Laser Eye Surgery

PRK is a laser eye surgery procedure that treats nearsightedness, mild to moderate farsightedness and astigmatism by flattening the center of the cornea with cool beams of ultraviolet light. Based on the patient’s individual refraction, the computer generates an accommodating amount of laser light to remove a calculated amount of corneal tissue.

The laser eye surgeon uses an excimer laser to remove tissue from the surface of the cornea, allowing the cornea to focus light correctly. For nearsighted people, the doctor will perform PRK to flatten the too-steep cornea. For farsighted people, the doctor will use the laser to create a steeper cornea. Following PRK, vision begins to improve around three days following the treatment and steadily improves.

Source: http://www.article-buzz.com/Article/Types-of-Laser-Eye-Surgery/123918

By: Dana Siconolfi

Every year, thousands of people are blinded by Glaucoma. Now, a newly discovered laser technique gives glaucoma sufferers great hope that the progression of their disease can be brought to a halt.

Glaucoma is often called an aging related disease because it often, but not always, manifests itself after the age of 40. It is also referred to as the silent thief of sight because it usually has no early symptoms. Typically, the onset of glaucoma is discovered when your eye doctor gives your eye a pressure screening. Eyes that are at risk for glaucoma will have higher than normal pressure in their eyeballs. If this pressure remains too high for too long a period, it can damage the optic nerve.

In a normal, healthy eye, aqueous humor is continuously produced. It is then drained through something called the trabecular meshwork, which is a collection of tissues in the eye located around the base of the cornea. The aqueous humor drainage takes place at the same rate as it was produced.

As the eye ages, however, this trabecular meshwork may become clogged, thus preventing the necessary drainage from taking place. it this happens, the pressure on the optic nerves will continue to build up, potentially to an unhealthy level. High enough pressure will damage the optical nerves resulting in glaucoma.

Therefore, any glaucoma treatment has to be targeted towards either reducing the pressure on the nerve or reducing the amount of aqueous humor produced in the eye, or both. The goal of reducing eye pressure is usually attained with topical eyedrops or oral medications. If these treatments are ineffective, your doctor may recommend surgery to prevent further vision loss.

A very popular laser surgery technique used for the treatment of glaucoma is called laser trabeculoplasty. This technique uses a highly focused laser beam to cut through the whites of your eye and burn off part of the trabecular meshwork beneath it. This causes the remainder of the trabecular meshwork to expand, in effect, making it less dense and more permeable. The net result it that the aqueous humor can now more easily drain from the eye, thus relieving the pressure.

In the best cases this will manage to stop the damage and save your current vision. In the worst cases you may develop cataracts and possibly lose your sight.

As you might imagine, this is a very delicate operation. So delicate in fact that there are very few surgeons in the world that can adequately perform the operation. At least that was true before the Israeli company IOPtima developed a new breakthrough laser technology that promises to make the entire process so easy that it can be performed by most eye surgeons around the world.

The breakthrough device is called the OT134. It’s a laser and it’s based on carbon dioxide laser technology, a technology commonly used in skin resurfacing. One advantage of a carbon dioxide laser is that it minimizes bleeding to a greater degree than other types of lasers. It’s intensely focused heat immediately cauterizes the wounds as it creates them.

In addition, with the IOPtima laser, it automatically switches off just before the eye membrane is perforated - at exactly the same time when the liquid is able to pass through the membrane, but when the membrane is thick enough to keep the eye protected. Performing this procedure manually is so difficult that most surgeons will not chance performing it. The IOPtima, however, relieves the surgeon from having to perform it, by performing all of the necessary intricate steps itself. This is what makes the laser revolutionary.

According to IOPtima, it’s lasers will “make it possible for eye-surgeons everywhere to become instant experts in a surgical technique that was once performed by a select few.” If they’re right, millions of glaucoma sufferers will be forever grateful.

Source: http://www.article-buzz.com/Article/Using-Lasers-to-Defeat-Glaucoma/130451