LASIK Eye Surgery is not Suitable for Everyone
Maybe you
are tired of your spectacles or contact lenses. After all, glasses have
many problems like they can scratch, break or drift and also feel
uncomfortable after many hours of wearing them. Moreover,
the common alternative, contact lenses, needs solutions, careful
hygiene to prevent infection and, particularly in the case
of disposables, is an everlasting monetary commitment.
The idea
of living without glasses or contacts is seemingly appealing to
around 600,000 individuals a year who get Laser-Assisted in
situ Keratomileusis, or LASIK. This refractive eye surgery changes the shape
of the cornea and also improves vision. The majority of individuals
who get LASIK are happy with the surgery and after surgery, are able
to see clearly while not being shackled to prescription
glasses or contact lenses.
However, like
all surgery, LASIK will have some risks, and a call to
electively go through LASIK surgery should be carefully
thought out and should be discussed with your eye specialist.
In different words, undesirable outcomes can happen after LASIK.
What is LASIK?
You've
most probably heard of LASIK; however, you must be unsure how it
works.
The surface
layer of your eye is termed the cornea. If the cornea’s shape is
not normal, light is not properly refracted or focused, and it
is harder to see, then with LASIK, an optical laser or
blade is used to cut a flap in your cornea. So, an optical
laser is used to reshape the cornea before the flap is replaced.
Thus, as a result of the change in the shape of the cornea light is
better focused on your cornea.
The FDA has approved LASIK for the three conditions:
- Myopia or near-sightedness
- Hyperopia or farsightedness
- Astigmatism (where the curvature of the cornea resembles soccer instead of a basketball)
Avoid
LASIK
You
should keep in mind that before you undergo LASIK, your specialist is
going to perform a comprehensive vision test.
Not every
woman is a suitable candidate for LASIK. Subsequent is a list of
conditions that discount women as good candidates for this procedure:
- If you have a history of diseases, like glaucoma or
herpes
- History of any eye injury or surgery
- Dry eyes (sicca), as happens with
Sjogren's syndrome
- Thin corneas
- Large pupils
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Immune compromise (like HIV/AIDS)
- Ectasia, or bulging of the cornea, that happens with astigmatism
- Use of corticosteroids, that prevent
wound healing
- Recent changes in your lens or glasses
prescription
- Cases of age-related changes to the
attention like presbyopia
- Very giant refractive errors
Finally,
if you have comparatively good vision to
start with, you should avoid getting LASIK.
When
LASIK is done properly, the advantages outweigh the
risks for many patients. However, negative outcomes can occur
even in women that were initially good candidates.
Here are
some adverse effects of LASIK that are sometimes gentle and
transient:
- Dry eyes
- Hazy vision
- Halos
- Sensitivity to light
- Starbursts
- Double vision
- Impaired sight at night
Please
note that for a minority of individuals, these symptoms can become
permanent and problematic.
Here are some severe adverse effects of LASIK:
- Total vision loss
- Infection
- Corneal Ectasia
- Overcorrection
- Undercorrection
LASIK does
not always have excellent (20/20) vision, and might still have
to wear glasses to read. Particularly, if you have
got age-related hyperopia or longsightedness that
happens in middle or older age that happens due to the decreased
elasticity of the lens, so you may still have to wear spectacles.
Sometimes, people may need more than one LASIK surgery to correct their
vision.
When selecting an
eye specialist to perform your LASIK eye surgery, please do thorough
research. First, find out the concerning devices used during
your surgery and whether or not another refractive surgery, like
LASEK, would be better for you. Second, ensure that the
specialist whom you have decided on has good expertise. Third, be cautious of
discount LASIK procedures or phony promises of guaranteeing you excellent
vision.