• March 29, 2022
• By admin

Lasik Surgery As An Alternative To Glasses And Lenses

If you’re one of those who are tired of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, you must be wondering whether LASIK surgery is the right alternative for you or not. LASIK is a surgical procedure that is designed to reduce a person’s reliance on glasses or contact lenses. LASIK is a long-term alternative to eyeglasses or contact lenses for the majority of people. LASIK, which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis and is also known as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery that corrects myopia, hyperopia, and is an actual cure for astigmatism because it is performed in the cornea. Nearsightedness (myopia) is a condition in which you can clearly see nearby objects but cannot see distant objects. When your eyeball is slightly longer than normal or the cornea curves too sharply, light rays focus in front of the retina and blur distant vision. Close objects can be seen more clearly, but distant objects cannot. Farsightedness (hyperopia) is a condition in which you can clearly see distant objects but have blurry vision of nearby objects. When you have a shorter-than-average eyeball or a too-flat cornea, light focuses behind the retina rather than on it. This causes blurring of both near and distant vision. Astigmatism causes blurry vision in general. Astigmatism occurs when the cornea curves or flattens unevenly, disrupting the focus of near and distant vision.

An ophthalmologist performs LASIK surgery by permanently reshaping the cornea of the eye with an excimer laser or microkeratome to improve visual acuity. To cut a flap in the cornea, a mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) or a laser keratome (a laser device) is used. At one end of this flap, a hinge has been left unattached. The flap is retracted, revealing the stroma, or middle section of the cornea. A portion of the stroma is vaporized by pulses from a computer-controlled laser, and the flap is replaced.

In general, laser eye surgery is best suited for people with moderate refractive error and no unusual vision problems. It is important to know that you can only have a LASIK surgery if you meet certain preconditions, there are few things that might stop you from having a Lasik surgery, such as:

An eye disease or a history of eye disease in your family, eye inflammation (keratitis, uveitis) and infections (herpes simplex), eye or eyelid injuries. If you have dry eyes, LASIK surgery may exacerbate the condition. Big pupils may also not be suitable. Glaucoma is another such condition; a surgery can worsen glaucoma by raising eye pressure. If you have severe nearsightedness or a high refractive error, the risks of surgery may outweigh the benefits. When you have good peripheral vision and if you only need contacts or glasses occasionally, the benefits of surgery may not outweigh the risks. If you have age-related eye changes that reduce your vision (presbyopia). For those who engage in contact sports; LASIK surgery may not be suitable as they regularly receive facial and eye blows, such as in martial arts or boxing.

Your ophthalmologist will also inquire about your general health. Unrelated medical conditions can increase LASIK surgery risks or make the outcome unpredictable. This will include any immune system disorder that impairs healing or makes you more susceptible to infections, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, HIV and other autoimmune disorders. Another condition to consider is uncontrolled diabetes, as a surgery in such case can easily lead to complications like diabetic retinopathy.

Your sight needs to be steady. If you have myopia, your vision may change throughout your adolescence, requiring periodic adjustments to your glasses or contact lenses; which is why before undergoing LASIK eye surgery, patients must be at least 18 years old. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and steroid drugs can also cause temporary vision changes.

The success rate of LASIK surgery is high. Most people who have LASIK eye surgery achieve 20/20 vision or in some cases better than that, which is adequate for most activities. However, most people will eventually need glasses for reading or perhaps night driving as they get older.

Complications that result in vision loss are uncommon, and most patients are pleased with the outcome. Certain side effects are can be dry eyes and temporary visual disturbances (such as glare). However, these are temporary in nature and usually go away within few weeks or perhaps months, and are not generally a long- term issue. Your results are determined by your refractive error as well as other factors. People with mild nearsightedness are the most likely to benefit from refractive surgery. People with astigmatism and a high degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness have less predictable results.

In short, the success of surgery will defer from person to person and as too many factors are involved it sometimes becomes difficult to predict. One needs to consider the factors listed here carefully, weigh your preferences and risk tolerance, and ensure you have realistic expectations. Speak with an eye surgeon in whom you have faith and get your questions answered. In most cases, benefits outweigh the risks.

References:

1) https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/surgery-devices/lasik

2) https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/eye-health/pros-and-cons-of-lasik-are-risks- worth-cost

3) Min, J.S., Min, B.M. Comparison between Surgical Outcomes of LASIK with and without Laser Asymmetric Keratectomy to Avoid Conventional Laser Refractive Surgery Adverse Effects. Sci Rep 10, 10446 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67269-y