By Mike Selvon

In this day and age of high-tech solutions to just about every situation, it should be no surprise that there is a high-tech solution to vision problems through Lasik laser eye surgery. This procedure has become quite popular and for a number of good reasons.

There is a fast recovery time, the vision improvement is virtually immediate and the risk of complications is super low. But, to be sure that the best results are achieved and to further minimize potential problems, there are a few things patients need to do after Lasik eye surgery.

One of the first things that people want to know when they are considering corrective eye surgery is how long it will take, after the surgery, before they are able to return to their normal daily activities. The good news is that recovery from this type of laser eye surgery is quite rapid and within a couple days after the procedure, most people can get back to life as normal, except without the hassle of needing their eyeglasses or their contact lenses.

Immediately after Lasik eye surgery, it is strongly advised to carefully avoid any kind of activity that might result in something touching, rubbing or poking the eyes. For the first few hours after the laser eye surgery in the clinic, the patient is advised to rest and keep their eyes closed as much as possible.

Once these few hours have passed after surgery, the patient is then able to get back to their routine activities, either at home or at work. Still, rubbing the eyes should be avoided for a few days and if dryness or itchiness occurs, then the patient should used lubricating eye-drops to help alleviate the irritation and to sooth the eyes. Most Lasik eye center facilities will provide the patient with drops for their eyes for this very purpose.

After corrective eye surgery, it is also recommended that patients wear a soft protective eye-mask at night so that the affected eyes are buffered and protected from any inadvertent bumps, scraping or rubbing. This also helps to make sure that no foreign objects enter the eyes during this brief period of recovery from the Lasik vision surgery.

While there is historically very little occurrence of infections with laser eye surgery in general, some surgeons will prescribe antibiotics as a precaution. If antibiotics, or any other medications, have been prescribed, it is important to take these medications exactly as prescribed by the Lasik eye doctor. Also, most doctors will recommend that you drink plenty of water in order to be sure the eyes are properly hydrated during the healing process.

After Lasik eye surgery, it is also a good idea to avoid showering in order to keep soap and water out of the eyes. The patient can quickly return to normal reading, watching TV and working at the computer screen as long as they remember to keep their eyes well lubricated with artificial tears. With these few precautions, soon the patient will simply be enjoying better vision.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-For-Fast-Recovery-After-Lasik-Eye-Surgery&id=1159142

By Al Falaq Arsendatama

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) laser eye surgery has been existent for over 12 years and is considered to be quite a safe procedure. It is the forerunner of the Lasik procedure. There is no concrete evidence to suggest that PRK laser eye surgery harms the vision or eyes of a patient in the long run. The procedure is used less, unlike Laser and Lasik treatment.

About the Procedure:

If a patient has an unusually thin cornea or sometimes, a large pupil, a surgeon might recommend PRK laser eye surgery for the patient. Lasik and Laser treatment are considered complicated under these conditions.

Preparations:

The eye area of the patient is cleaned and the eyelid is held intact, using a metal ring. Anesthetic drops that are administered ensure that the eyes are numb. This prevents discomfort when the laser is used. In other laser eye treatments, the eye’s shape is reformed, beneath the surface of cornea. But in PRK procedure, the cornea is reshaped by removing thin layer of cells, with a laser examiner, from the eye’s surface. The epithelium tends to naturally grow back and side effects are less.

Downside:

Unlike newer and advanced laser eye surgeries, PRK laser eye surgery needs a longer recovery time. The patients, after the surgical procedure, experience greater discomfort and greater pain. The vision can be blurred and hazy in the patients of PRK, for nearly two months. The complete result of the surgery is apparent only after a few months.

Risks Involved:

Like all other surgeries, this surgery has a few risks involved. They are:

• Dry eyes:

This is a common side effect and eye drops are used for lubricating the eyes and staying away from infections.

• Poorer night vision:

The daytime vision of a patient will improve after PRK and this will help the patients to carry out their daily routine, without the help of contact lenses and glasses. Night vision sometimes will be poorer than that of the vision that existed before surgery. This ensues in the patients- seeing halo or glare around the lights. Driving in night is not advised for a few months and glasses become necessary for driving during the night time.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?PRK-Laser-Eye-Surgery—Safe-and-Effective-Procedure&id=1280435

By Eileen Childs

There are many different types of LASIK eye surgery techniques such as corneal incisions, flap procedures and photoablation. These procedures are used to correct astigmatism and nearsightedness. If you are considering LASIK eye surgery, it is good to know the differences between the various types.

Corneal LASIK Eye Surgery Procedures

A corneal incision procedure or keratotomy is used in situations where the cornea is misshapen, which interferes with optical refraction. If you have poor refraction, you will suffer from poor eyesight. LASIK eye surgery reshapes the cornea to improve vision.

There are basically three types of procedures included in the corneal incision family:

If you suffer from astigmatism, a procedure called astigmatic keratotomy (AK) may be used. In this procedure the LASIK Surgeon cuts and then smooths bulges in the cornea in order to allow improved refraction.

If you have a mild case of myopia (nearsightedness), the LASIK eye surgery procedure keratotomy (RK) may be used. In this technique the surgeon surrounds the cornea with an arrangement of outward incisions which will result in the cornea flattening.

Although Hexagonal keratotomy (HA) used to be used to correct farsightedness, unwanted side affected have caused surgeons to nearly eliminate its use entirely.

Flap LASIK Eye Surgery Procedures

The origin of LASIK gets its name from a flap procedure called Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, whereby the surgeon cuts a flap in the eye and uses an excimer laser to remove any material that might cause the patient’s vision issues.

In Epi-LASIK surgery the surgeon cut does not go deeper than the epithelium. This procedure typically involves a shorter recovery period an can be less painful.

In Lasek surgery, the surgeon cuts a flap in the epithelium and then loosens the flap with alcohol, which can be more painful and cause a longer recovery time.

Keratoplasty is the eye LASIK surgery used for those with myopia or hyperopia, but it isn’t used that much any more.

Photoablation LASIK Eye Surgery Procedures

The most common photoablation LASIK eye surgery procedure is photoreactive keratectomy (PRK). In this procedure, the surgeon uses UV radiation to remove tissue from the eye. The eye is then reshaped using an excimer laser. This procedure is typically used to treat astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Know-Your-Lasik-Eye-Surgery-Techniques&id=710902

By: Carlo Rinaudo

Lasik eye surgery is a surgical procedure that can correct a person’s vision. When an individual has Lasik surgery they will no longer have to depend on glasses or contact lenses.

The cornea of the eye is responsible for projecting light onto the retina to produce an image. When the cornea of the eye is not shaped perfectly, then distortion of the image will occur. This is called a refractive error. Lasik eye surgery can correct a refractive error.

There are three primary types of refractive errors. Myopia is a refractive error in which a person has trouble seeing things at a distance but they can see things close up. Hyperopia is when a person will be able to see things clearly at a distance but cannot see things that are close to them. Astigmatism is a distortion of an image that is caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens of the eye.

Lasik eye surgery is also called refractive surgery because it will reshape the shape of the cornea, therefore improving the focusing power. But keep in mind that not everyone is a good candidate for Lasik eye surgery.

To be a good candidate for Lasik eye surgery, you have to be willing to accepts the risks that go along with this type of surgery. Your eyesight should be stable, meaning your eyeglass prescription has not changed much over the past several years. You should not have any health conditions that would put you a risk if you have Lasik eye surgery.

Lasik eye surgery does carry some risks. One of the risks of this type of eye surgery is loss of vision. In rare cases, the patient may lose vision due to equipment malfunction, scarring or flap related complications.

Another risk of Lasik eye surgery is that any dry eye condition that is experienced right after surgery may become worse. This can be accompanied by burning, redness and decreased vision. If this dry eye condition persists, you may have to use medication to improve tear duct function.

If you wear contact lenses, whether they are soft contacts or rigid contacts, you should stop wearing your contacts at least three weeks before your initial evaluation by the doctor. The day before surgery, you should not wear creams, makeup, perfumes or any type of lotion.

Make sure that someone goes with you on the day of surgery. You will need someone to drive you home because before the surgery the doctor will give you medicine to relax you and your vision may be a little blurry right after surgery.

Lasik eye surgery is relatively safe and it can free you from glasses and contacts. Before you commit to Lasik surgery, make sure that you weigh all the pros and cons of having the surgery. Ask your doctor plenty of questions and then make an informed decision about Lasik eye surgery.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Lasik-Eye-Correction-Surgery—What-is-it-All-About?&id=1267333

The most popular form of eye operation is the Lasik eye surgery. Lasik is the short term for Laser Assisted Situ Keratomileusis.

Over the years, Lasik has established its reputation as the better procedure. Shorter convalescence period and generally immediate results are some of its acknowledged advantages. Generally, better vision is immediately achieved right after surgery; for others, result might appear the day after the surgery.

The laser method uses a microkeratome to cut a thin, spherical flap into the cornea. The surgeon then folds back the flap to uncover the cornea to be able to remove some corneal tissues under. The excimer laser, a cool ultraviolet light, is used to precisely remove the prescribed amount corneal tissue. Consequently, the cornea is restructured to allow light to improved direction of the light on the retina, to attain better vision.

Choose a Doctor and Learn the Essential Information About Lasik

Primarily and most essential thing to do before going through the laser method is to find a reputable eye surgeon. You should choose a doctor who is really skilled in the Lasik field as successful result is contingent upon on the surgeon’s competence. Indeed, possible risks or side effects are greatly diminished when an experienced doctor does the method.

During the pre-op interview, the doctor will ask you questions related to your health and medical record. It is very important to answer everything completely and honestly. Leaving out information will not render an accurate assessment if you are or you are qualified for the surgery. If you are not physically fit, and that will put you at risk if you have the process, then the doctor will definitely advise you not to go through with it. It could be quite disappointing but definitely much better than damaging your eyes or making your vision turn for the worse.

Additionally, the doctor you choose should also be honest enough to give you the advantages as well as the risks related to the procedure. Whereas this technology is quite outstanding, there are real risks involved here. If your doctor does not discuss this aspect of the procedure with you, then you should walk away from his clinic as his or her primary concern is not your health.

Make certain that you read and understand all the information provided by your doctor and try to absorb all the details described to you by the doctor regarding the procedure and the possible side effects. You should be prepared to handle potential complications that may occur after the procedure. Moreover, you have to carefully consider the probable gains versus the potential side effects before finalizing your decisions about the procedure. Results are irreversible and there will be no room for regrets.

Remove Those Contacts

If you intend to go through surgery, do not wear contacts for a few weeks prior to surgery. Wearing of contacts stops the cornea from getting enough oxygen. This could lead to corneal neovascularization or formation of blood vessels in the cornea. Refraining from wearing contacts will reduce or totally eradicate the condition.

If your eyes are operated with these corneal formations, the eyes will take longer time to heal and can cause increased inflammation. The procedure could also turn into a more difficult procedure having these formations obstructing the cornea.

Fix Your Schedule So You Can Take Some Time-Off From Work

Generally, it is feasible to go back into your normal routine right after the surgery. However, it will still be prudent to take some time off to rest and relax after the surgery. The complications could happen most possibly during the first two days after the surgery. The flap could be severed completely and this could bring about eye diseases and other side effects.

It is for these reasons that most doctors advise their patients to go home directly to get some sleep right after the surgery. Refrain from doing very physical activities right after the surgery. If you damage your eyes, correction could be very expensive and complicated.

Lasik surgery could very well liberate people from wearing glasses. However, rushing to have the procedure done without proper knowledge and understanding of the procedure will be unwise. Carefully select your doctor and follow the safety measures to guarantee a successful outcome of the procedure.

Source: http://www.lasiksurgery101.com/accomplish-three-things-before-undergoing-laser-surgery.php

Considering lasik eye surgery and being optimistic about the results does not make the possible complications disappear. Something can go bad and you must be informed from reliable sources, about what and why, to make a good decision.

Reliable Information Sources

It is not so commonly known that bad lasik eye surgery may cause terrible side effects; different lasik complication may occur, both after and during the surgery. The causes are different from the faulty equipment to doctors’ inexperience.

Before taking the decision to go through a lasik surgery you should research and understand the problems that can occur and the procedure, and there are many ways to do this. Records of bad lasik eye surgery, study of surgical vision correction may help you to make the decision.

Information sources like websites may provide very different stories but they are not so reliable. The positive stories may be very positive and the negative ones may be enough to keep somebody from thinking about the procedure. So if you want a more reliable source just speak with relatives and friends that have undergone an eye surgery. They will be happy to share with you both the problems and the successes. Also consulting a doctor may be useful, but be aware because some doctors are interested only in the money.

What can go wrong?

The consequences of a bad lasik eye surgery are very serious, devastating and difficult to leave with. One of the most serious consequences is loss of eye sight. A wrong move made by the doctor and or a faulty equipment can put you in this situation. Also, infection from the equipment or from other factors can lead to loss of eye sight.

Change in shape of the cornea is another serious complication that can occur which has implications on receiving and wearing contact lenses. If after the surgery the cornea is odd shaped you may have problems finding contacts that will fit. It will be necessary to make special contacts which will much more expensive than the average lens.

Bad lasik eye surgery can also result in constant burning and irritation that can be treated with eye drops.

Informing yourself about the helpfulness and safety of the procedure before making the decision from reliable sources such as health organization, family, friends, and doctors is a good idea. Even if eye surgery is widely used and if it is successful can be beneficial, bad lasik eye surgery is not excluded and the effects can be devastating.

Source: http://eyesurgery.factsandnews.com/Bad-Lasik-Eye-Surgery.php

It’s imperative that you get all the Lasik eye surgery information you can find before you have the surgery. Try to talk to someone who has had the surgery. As important as it is to read all about the procedure, there’s no substitute for the first-hand experiences of someone who has been there.

Your doctor should be willing to answer all your questions and provide literature about the procedure and the risks and benefits. If your doctor says you may not be a candidate for Lasik eye surgery, ask him about alternative laser surgeries. You may find that another type of laser surgery would be more beneficial to you.

There is a lot of Lasik eye surgery information available on the internet. The National Eye Institute maintains a website that has a lot of information regarding different types of eye problems and the corrective procedures associated with them. You can access their website at nei.nih.gov. The American Optometric Association also has a website containing information you may find useful You can access it at aoa.org.

Take into consideration that you must be in good general overall health in order to have this type of surgery. You can’t have a disease that could slow healing such as diabetes or lupus. There are other criteria of which you may not be aware so discuss these with your doctor. You may think of other questions to ask your eye surgeon after searching for Lasik eye surgery information. As you think of them, write down your questions so you’ll be prepared for your next appointment.

You’ll need to arrange for some time off from work. In most cases, it is just a couple of days. You’ll need to make sure you have a ride to and from the procedure. Discuss with your doctor ahead of time if he’ll be giving you a Valium or something to relax you during the surgery. Of course, you’re not obligated to take any medication but for some people, it helps them to relax and not be so frightened.

Make sure whoever takes you to the appointment listens to and understands the aftercare instructions, especially if you have had a sedative as you may not remember all the instructions. Ideally, they’ll be written down and you’ll be given some post-op literature to read. Keep the Lasik eye surgery information regarding post-op procedures handy.

Whatever you do, once you’ve made the decision to have Lasik surgery, don’t let anyone scare you into not having it. The pain, if any is minor and the discomfort only lasts for a few days. If you and your doctor have decided that you would make a good candidate for this type of surgery, don’t listen to someone else who probably is scared herself. The overwhelming majority of those who have had Lasik eye surgery are happy with the result and you, most likely, will be too.

Source: http://eyesurgery.factsandnews.com/Lasik-Eye-Surgery-Information.php

The use of computer technology in medical science is fast developing. Nowadays there are a large number of surgical procedures available for patients who need to correct their vision.

Generally, laser eye surgery is used in three types of eye problems:

l myopia – near sighted
l hyperopia – far – sighted
l astigmatism – distorting vision at any distance

What cause these conditions are problems with the patient’s ability to focus an image on the retina. The ability to focus varies upon three factors: the distance from the back to the front of the eye, the shape of the cornea and the lens. The cornea is the curved clear front surface of the human eye above the iris and the pupil. It provides approximately two thirds of the eye’s ability to focus.

During a laser eye surgery, the surgeon changes the shape of the cornea using a device called Excimer Laser. This produces a laser beam that vaporizes tissue. It is also called a “cold” laser because it removes targeted areas of the eye tissue without harming the surrounding area.

Laser Procedures

The most common types of laser procedures are PRK (Photo-Refractive Keractomy), available since early nineties and LASIK (Laser Assisted in situ Keratomileusis), first introduced in mid nineties.

PRK – In this surgical procedure, the surgeon uses a beam of light that vaporizes small amounts of eye tissue on the surface of the eye. It removes enough tissue to reshape the cornea and correct vision. The patient is recovered within a week.

LASIK – This is a more complicated surgical procedure. The first step is to cut a flap of the cornea and lifted. Afterwards, the surgeon removes precise amounts of the inside layers of the cornea using a laser guided by a computer. In the end, the flap is put back in its place and the eye heals fast by itself.

Benefits and Risks

Laser eye surgery is always performed by high skilled and well prepared specialists. For most of the patients, the results are very good and their lives are significantly improved. They no longer have to wear glasses or contact lenses.

It is important to keep realistic expectations about laser eye surgery. Patients over 40 years of age may have to wear reading glasses even after the surgery. The eye continues to change after the surgery and you may have to wear prescription glasses or lenses at some point in your life. You might also need a second laser eye surgery if the first one is not entirely successful/

After PRK laser eye surgery, the patient may have a blurry vision throughout the healing process. However, this generally clears up later. Another possible outcome is regression, which means the eye will get back to its original state within around six months. When this happens, you either need another surgery or have to go back to wearing glasses or contact lenses.

LASIK surgery usually involves less negative effects and the eye heals faster. However, as it involves cutting part of the eye tissue, the risk of severe complications is greater.

Source: http://eyesurgery.factsandnews.com/What-Is-Laser-Eye-Surgery.php

Most patients who undergo refractive surgery are very pleased with the results. However, just like any other surgical procedure, there are also some risks that come with it. This is why it is very important to be aware of the possible complications, effects and laser eye surgery risks.

Before undergoing a vision correction procedure, you should examine the risks and benefits carefully based on your own value system and try not to let yourself influenced by friends who have had the surgery or doctors trying to convince you to have it.

Listed below are the most common laser eye surgery risks.

Vision Loss

After the procedure, a very small percentage of all patients experience a vision loss which cannot be corrected with glasses, contacts or a second surgery. This is a very rare, but very serious laser eye surgery risk.

Debilitating Visual Symptoms

A few patients experience halos, glare or double vision after surgery, which serious night vision problems. Even if they have a good vision on the vision chart, they may not see well at night, in fog or in other situations of low contrast. They may even see worse in these situations than they used to before treatment.

Under Treatment or Over Treatment

This is a very frequent laser eye surgery risk. Only a small percentage of patients obtain 20/20 vision after surgery without glasses or contacts. You may need additional treatment to enhance vision, but this is not always possible. Even if you used to wear very weak prescription glasses before treatment, you may still need glasses or contact lenses afterwards. If you used to wear reading glasses before, you might still need them after surgery.

Severe Dry Eye Syndrome

Another laser eye surgery risk is to develop serious dry eye syndrome. After surgery, your eyes might not be able to produce enough tears for keeping moist. This not only produces discomfort, by can also reduce quality vision due to permanent blurring and other problems. This eye condition may be permanent. It is usually treated with intensive eye drop therapy, but other procedures can also be used.

Less Effective Results in Patients with Different Types of Large Refractive Errors

You shouldn’t expect too much from a laser eye surgery. To have realistic expectations, you should discuss with your doctor and ask whether you will still need to wear glasses or contact lenses after surgery or not.

Results Diminishing with Age

Another laser eye surgery risk is for results to decrease over time, especially in patients with farsighted vision. If your manifest refraction (an exam with lenses before using dilating drops) differs from your cyclopegic refraction (another exam with lenses after applying dilating drops), the chances of getting this side effect are higher.

For newer technologies, there is not enough research data available. As some of them have been developed only a few years ago, long-term effectiveness and safety cannot be determined yet. Even though they are more advanced, they might have some unknown long-term side effects.

Source: http://eyesurgery.factsandnews.com/Laser-Eye-Surgery-Risk.php

LASIK laser eye surgery is a complex procedure used to treat all degrees of nearsightedness. The surgeon who performs it uses a small knife to cut a flap of the cornea, then removes part of the underneath tissue with a laser and put the flap back in its place.

In LASIK laser eye surgery, the skills of the surgeon are more important than in the PRK procedure, where the computer does most of the work. This is why it is very important to find a high-skilled and experienced surgeon who has done several such procedures before to perform it. The success of the procedure depends mainly on the surgeon.

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Advantages

Most physicians agree that LASIK laser eye surgery is very appropriate for correcting very severe vision problems. It also allows a faster recovery than PRK and other methods. In addition, patients who have undergone a LASIK laser eye surgery can see accurate enough to drive and read within just a week.

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery Risks

In a small number of patients, LASIK laser eye surgery can have some negative side effects. Such effects include over or under-correction, scarring of the cornea, astigmatism, corneal infections, lower contrast sensitivity or problems with driving at night.

LASIK Laser Eye Surgery vs. PRK & RK

There are physicians that still consider other surgical methods as well. Some patients who had previously decided on LASIK laser eye surgery are often advised to undergo a PRK or RK procedure instead. After studying all the options they have and consider side effects, many of them eventually agree on other methods.

Many clinical centers, while they do perform LASIK laser eye surgery in many situations, they claim that other methods are in some cases more suitable. For example, some physicians believe that for a small number of patients with low or moderately nearsighted eye conditions, a RK (radial keratotomy) is more appropriate.

RK is an earlier eye correction procedure that does not need an Excimer laser. The incisions are made radically along the exterior portion of the cornea with a hand-held knife. Such procedures are designed to help reshape the curvature of the cornea and allow light rays that enter the eye to focus properly on the retina. The success of the procedure depends on the length and number of these incisions. Some surgeons use this type of eye surgery for a small number of people with mild myopia.

In contrast, other physicians believe that a LASIK laser eye surgery is always the best option. While they do mention other options to their patients, such as PRK or RK, they do not advise them in favor of these procedures.

Others claim that a RK procedure involves penetrating around 90 percent of the cornea, which can have a negative impact on the structure of the eye. Moreover, once you have done a RK surgery, you can never repeat it or have a PRK. This is why some doctors would never recommend this method to anyone.

Source: http://eyesurgery.factsandnews.com/What-Is-LASIK-Laser-Eye-Surgery.php