Is LASIK Surgery Right for You?

Is LASIK Surgery Right for You?

Advertisements for surgery are everywhere.

Anyone who wears Contact Lenses and eyeglasses can relate well to the feeling of finally being free of the maintenance and bother involved in wearing either.

As tempting as the advertisements are,surgery may not be right for everyone.

Understanding surgery

LASIKis the acronym for laser in-situ keratomy, eye surgery involving use of a powerful laser called an Excimer.

The Excimer has been designed especially for working in the delicate eye area.

The laser works quickly to reshape a person's Cornea, which generally is all that is needed to correct Myopia also known as “nearsightedness” or “short sightedness”, Hyperopia also known as "farsightedness" or "long sightedness" and Astigmatisms.

Reshaping the cornea generally is a simple matter of removing excess tissue from beneath the cornea.

In order to get at this tissue, a tiny flap must be pulled back from the cornea's surface.

The laser can create this flap, and so can a tool called a microkeratome blade.

Laser pulses zap as much excess tissue as the ophthalmologist determines after reviewing a very detailed image of the cornea called a corneal topography.

In literally a matter of minutes and often without feeling any pain, the shape of the cornea is corrected and vision restored.

In fact, vision is usually restored so quickly that a patient can drive him or herself home from the procedure.

Deciding on LASER Surgery

One of the biggest decisions a person interested in LASER Surgery needs to make is whether this type of eye surgery is affordable.

It is categorized as a cosmetic type of surgery and therefore many health insurance plans won't provide coverage.

The costs for this surgery vary considerably, but generally the costs of using a reliable and knowledgeable ophthalmologist will run several thousand dollars – per eye! So cost is definitely one big consideration.

If it's decided that the costs are justifiable, there are some individuals for whom this type of surgery may not be effective.

Only Healthy Eyes and eyes that have stopped changing can be operated on.

There also are certain prescription limitations which automatically disqualify a patient from this type of surgery.

A comprehensive review of a prospective patient's medical history is undertaken prior to LASER Surgery.

A number of tests are also performed at an initial consultation for the purpose of detecting Problems with Eyesight and/or diseases which could affect the surgery.

Due to hormonal considerations, LASIK Surgerycannot take place when a woman is pregnant or when either a man or a woman has a compromised immune system as this condition could jeopardize the eye's recovery.

To summarize, if such a procedure is affordable and the eyes meet the procedure requirements, LASER Surgery may be a good option to pursue.

The surgery itself has a very high success rate and combined with the fact that it's practically painless, it probably makes sense to give it a try.

The next section will review the different types of LASIK Surgery that are available and the risks and possible complications of each.

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Is LASIK Surgery to Laser