LASIK means laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis. It is an eye surgery that is performed to reduce or totally remove the need for corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses.
This eye surgery is 1 of the most common types of refractive methods; it uses lasers to reshape the cornea or the dome-shaped transparent tissue at the front of the eye. This change in cornea shape allow light rays to focus more properly on the patient’s retina rather than at certain point beyond or in front of their retina. If light rays do not focus on the retina, one will experience blurred vision. In conclusion, LASIK is performed to help patients achieve clearer as well as sharper vision without any use of optical aids.
Who must get a LASIK surgery?
If you have any of the following conditions, your eye doctor may suggest for you to first try other ways of repairing the vision such as using of corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, if you find eye glasses as well as contact lens are enough this is where LASIK comes in.
A patient has hyperopia / farsightedness – this occurs when the patient’s eyeball is shorter than typical or when the cornea too flat, the lightrays that enters the eye are focused behind the retina instead of on it. Patients may see distance object well but have a hard time focusing on near objects. Some may also feel eye strain, fatigue and headache while reading up close.
A patient has myopia / nearsightedness – nearsightedness or myopia happens when the patient’s eyeball is longer than what is normal or when the cornea curvature is too steep. These outcome in light rays being focus in front of the retina and thus distant vision is blurry. The person can clearly see objects that are close, but having a hard time seeing those that are far away.
Astigmatism – astigmatism is an imperfection in your curvature of the cornea. Instead of a symmetrically round shape such as a baseball, it is irregularly shaped like a ruby ball. This outcome is the multiple focusing of light rays, causing blurred or distorted vision at both far and near distance.
Those who are at their 40’s or above may struggle with focusing on nearby objects. This condition is known as presbyopia, which results in difficulty of doing close-up tasks or reading small print. As part and parcel of aging, presbyopia will gradually worsen as one age. . LASIK surgery is known for helping people with presbyopia to have clear distance vision, but does not eliminate presbyopia. However, there are other strategies that maybe suitable for people with presbyopia. Be sure to consult an experience refractive surgeon’s advice before you decide to undergo a surgery.
Here are other risks LASIK eye surgery carries:
Under corrections, overcorrection or regression occurs if too little or too much cornea tissue are removed or the eye healing process is not typical. In such cases patient will not be able to enjoy 6/6 or perfect vision. Enhancement surgery may be performed to correct the remaining refractive error.
Halos, glare, and double vision – LASIK surgery may result to a patient having difficulty seeing at night due to glare, double vision, or halos around bright lights. These tend to be more prominent right after the surgery and will improve with time.
Eye Infection may occur after LASIK surgery however they are rare. It is important to use the medicated eye drops as directed by your eye surgeon to avoid infection and control inflammation as your eye heals.
To avoid any of these risks, choose the right doctor for eye exam and eye surgery procedures. Contact Atlas Eye for any inquiries you have about eye services.
