Lasik Eye Surgery

Lasik Eye Surgery

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Lasik Eye Surgery In New York

Lasik Eye Surgery In New York

A Video explaining the procedure

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Three Things to Do Before Going under the Laser

Lasik eye surgery is the most common form of refractive surgery performed.

Although the procedure is often referred to as “Lasik,” the name is an acronym for Laser Assisted SItu Keratomileusis.

Lasik has gradually gained popularity because it has many advantages over other procedures. Some of these advantages include reduced post-surgery pain and nearly immediate results. For most, better vision is often achieved immediately after surgery, while it might not become apparent until the next day for others.

With the procedure, a microkeratome or a laser is used to cut a thin, circular flap into the cornea. The surgeon then folds the flap back in order to remove some of the corneal tissue beneath. This is accomplished with an excimer laser, which utilizes a cool ultraviolet light to remove tissue with precision. In this way, the cornea is reshaped in order to better focus light onto the retina, thereby creating clearer vision.

Pick a Doctor and Educate Yourself

The most important step to take before going under the laser is to find a competent Lasik eye surgery doctor. The doctor you choose should be one with a great deal of experience, as the outcome of this procedure is improved with every experience a doctor has performing it. In fact, potential risks or side effects are dramatically reduced when a doctor who has a great deal of experience performs the procedure.

Before the procedure, the doctor will ask you a series of health related questions. Be sure to answer these questions honestly and as thoroughly as possible. These questions are meant to help the doctor determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the surgery. If you have certain health factors that put you at a high risk with this procedure, he will recommend that you don’t follow through with it. While this may be disappointing, it can save you from permanently damaging your eyes or making your vision worse.

In addition, the doctor you select must be willing to give you both the pros and the cons associated with the procedure. While the technology is truly amazing, there are true risks involved. A doctor who does not provide this information is not looking out for your best interest and should not be considered as an option for performing such a delicate and important procedure.

Make sure that you read all information the doctor provides you with and that you listen to the doctor carefully as he describes the procedure and its possible effects. You must be sure that you are ready to deal with the potential complications with the surgery. In addition, you need to weigh the potential outcome against the potential risks very carefully before deciding to carry out the procedure. It is irreversible and you don’t want to have any regrets.

Take Out Those Contacts

Wearing contact lenses prevents the cornea from properly absorbing oxygen. This can lead to the formation of blood vessels on the cornea, which is called corneal neovascularization. If you remove the contacts for a few weeks prior to the surgery, these formations will be reduced, or will go away altogether.

Having Lasik performed while these formations are on the cornea can cause the eyes to take longer to heal and can increase inflammation. In addition, the surgery can be much more uncomfortable if undergone with these formations.

Arrange Time Off

Although it is possible to return to normal functioning almost immediately after getting the surgery completed, it is still a good idea to arrange for some relaxation after the surgery. The greatest risk for complications occurs during the first couple of days after the surgery. It is possible to have the “flap” that is cut on the cornea come off completely. This can lead to infection and other complications.

For these reasons, most doctors recommend going home and going to sleep after the surgery. This allows the eye some time to heal without being disturbed. Be sure you don’t rush yourself to become active after the surgery is complete. Damage can be difficult and costly to correct.

Lasik eye surgery can provide the freedom and independence many people who wear glasses desire. Before going under the laser, however, it is important to carefully select a doctor and to abide by a few precautions in order to ensure the overall success of the procedure.

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Lasik Eye Surgery in Review

Lasik is the acronym used to describe Laser in Situ Keratomileusis. It is a special type of refractive laser eye surgery that can only be performed by ophthalmologists. The surgery is intended to help correct poor vision.

Development

Dr. Jose Barraquer created a procedure that was the first step toward the development of Lasik in 1970. At this time, he created a microkeratome, which was used to change the shape of the cornea and to cut the thin corneal flaps. This procedure was called keratomileusis.

In 1990, Dr. Lucio Buratto of Italy and Dr. Ioannis Pallikaris of Greece developed Lasik surgery as it is known today. This was accomplished by combining Dr. Barraquer’s technique with photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK. PRK is a form of laser eye surgery that permanently changes the shape of the anterior central cornea by burning off a small amount of eye tissue from the corneal stroma. Today, this procedure alone is not preferred because it takes longer for patients to recover from surgery and is more painful than Lasik.

The combination approach, however, was shown to have a lower number of complications and to be more precise in correcting vision. Dr. Stephen Slade and Dr. Stephen Brint first performed the procedure in the United States in 1991. That same year, German doctors Thomas Neuhann and Tobias Nuehann completed the first automated Lasik surgery in Munich.

Pre-Surgery

Before beginning Lasik surgery, the surface of the corneas must first be examined using a computer controlled scanning device. This serves to determine the exact shape of the cornea. Low power lasers are then used to create a topographic map of the surface of the cornea. This allows the surgeon to also determine the degree of astigmatism, if any, as well as other irregularities that might be present in the cornea’s shape.

This information helps the surgeon determine how much corneal tissue needs to be removed, and from where. Generally, the patient is also prescribed antibiotics beforehand. This helps to minimize the risk of developing an infection after the procedure is completed.

In addition, Lasik patients who wear contact lenses are encouraged to stop wearing the contacts for days, or even weeks, prior to the surgery. This is because the cornea needs to absorb oxygen in order to fully function. Low-oxygen permeable contact lenses reduce the ability of the cornea to absorb oxygen. This can result in blood vessels growing into the cornea in a process called corneal neovascularization. This condition can cause an increase in the inflammation of the area and lead to a longer healing time. It can also cause additional discomfort during surgery.

The Procedure

The patient remains awake and fully functional throughout the entire procedure. Usually, a mild sedative is used, along with anesthetic eye drops. The surgeon will then use lasers to make all of the necessary incisions. As this takes place, the computer system keeps track of the patient’s eye position at a rate of 4,000 times per second. In this way, it can redirect laser pulses to maintain precise placement of the laser.

Using a blade or a femtosecond laser, the surgeon cuts a flap in the cornea, but leaves a “hinge” on one end. The flap of corneal lining is pulled back to uncover the stroma, which is the middle portion of the cornea. Using an excimer laser, the surgeon reconfigures the corneal stroma by effectively vaporizing tissue. This procedure does not, however, damage the adjacent stroma.

Post Surgery

Lasik surgery does have potential complications, though these are fairly uncommon. Some potential complications include: dry eyes, halos or starbursts around light sources, over or under correction, sensitivity to light, double vision, wrinkles in the “flap,” debris under the “flap,” induced astigmatism, and epithelium erosion.

Many of the potential complications occur as a result of the flap detaching from the rest of the cornea. For this reason, most doctors recommend going home to sleep after the surgery, as this will decrease the likelihood that it will become detached completely. In addition, it is possible to develop an infection under the corneal flap.

Lasik eye surgery is an innovative procedure that utilizes cutting edge technology. But, care should be taken to learn all of the potential risks, both short term and long term, associated with the procedure before having it done.

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