The most popular method of vision correction nowadays is LASIK. Astigmatism, farsightedness, and nearsightedness can all be treated with LASIK eye surgery.
The purpose of LASIK is to improve your eyesight by correcting your refractive defect. Your need for eyeglasses or contact lenses will decrease as a result of LASIK eye surgery. In most circumstances, it enables the patient to go without glasses or contacts entirely.
In this blog, we are going to cover all you need to know about LASIK surgery.
What is LASIK eye surgery?
The abbreviation “LASIK” refers to “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.” “Keratomileusis” is the medical name for the reshaping of the cornea in your eye, and “in situ” means “in position” or “in place.”
LASIK is the most popular laser eye surgery for correcting myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. The LASIK treatment reshapes the cornea, similar to other types of refractive surgery, to allow light entering the eye to be properly focused onto the retina for improved vision.
Why Should You Try It?
LASIK frequently provides better eyesight without the bother of contacts or glasses. Generally speaking, you have a very excellent probability of recovering from refractive surgery with 20/25 vision or better.
After LASIK refractive surgery, more than 80% of patients find that they no longer use glasses or contact lenses for most of their daily activities.
But you need to take into consideration that there are some requirements that you need to fill to get this type of surgery:
- You should be 18 years or older (ideally, over 21 years old, when vision is more likely to have stopped changing).
- Your eye prescription should not have changed much in the last year.
- Your refractive error must be one that can be treated with LASIK.
- Your corneas need to be thick enough and healthy, and your overall eye health must be generally good.
- You need to have realistic expectations about what LASIK can and cannot do for you.
Risks
LASIK has potential downsides or issues you should be aware of, like any surgical procedure.
After LASIK, some people experience temporary side effects that usually fade away. The most common side effects for LASIK patients are dry eyes or fluctuating vision throughout the day.
Other side effects may include the following, however,they usually go away after a month.
- Eye pain or discomfort
- Hazy, foggy, or blurry vision
- Scratchy eye
- Glare
- Halos (rings) or starbursts around lights
- Being sensitive to light
- Small pink or red patches of blood on the white of the eye that go away over time
Procedure
There are five steps in the LASIK eye surgery procedure:
- Your ophthalmologist will use eye drops to numb your eyes once you lie flat. While having the treatment done, you can feel pressure even though you won’t be in discomfort. According to some patients, the pressure feels like a finger is pressing against the eyelid.
- Your surgeon will apply a suction ring and eyelid holder to your eye. Both the holder and the ring will prevent you from blinking or moving your eye. Your vision may get blurry or perhaps go completely dark.
- Your surgeon will create a flap as thin as a piece of paper in your cornea using a laser that has been programmed with your eye measurements. Then, as if flipping a page of a book, they will lift and fold back that flap.
- The next step will be for your surgeon to have you fixate on a light shining in your eye. Your eyes are fixed on it, not moving. Once more, the cornea is reshaped using a laser to improve light refraction. There may be a clicking or ticking sound from the laser.
- Your ophthalmologist will then fold the tissue flap back down. Within two to three minutes, it will begin to mend swiftly and settle into place.
Northern Nevada’s Premier Lasik Providers
LASIK is indeed a wonderful solution that can help you completely improve your vision. It’s important to highlight that you need to fill some requirements in order to get this type of surgery, but once you get the approval from your ophthalmologist you are ready to go!
At Eye Care Professionals in Reno, Nevada, we provide LASIK eye surgery. Our eye doctors have the experiance necessary to provide the greatest treatment, and we only use state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Our laser eye surgery services are exactly what you need, as demonstrated by the thousands of patient success stories we have. Get in touch with us!
