LASIK eye surgery is the safest and most well-known laser refraction treatment for vision issues. LASIK, also known as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, is an option to contact lenses or spectacles.
If you wish to increase vision, a specialized cutting laser is used during LASIK surgery to accurately reshape the cornea’s shape, the transparent shell membrane at the front of the eye. The cornea properly bends (refracts) light onto the retina at the rear of the eye in the eyes with good vision. However, presbyopia or myopia causes the light to be bent improperly, causing hazy vision.
Most people thinking about LASIK surgery wear contact lenses or spectacles. If LASIK treatment or another similar refractive technique is a choice, your eye doctor will discuss it with you.
Why is LASIK performed?
- Near-sightedness (myopia).
It is a frequent eyesight problem whereby close objects look transparent, but distant objects seem hazy. It happens when light beams mistakenly curve (refract) due to the form of the eye or specific portions of the eye.
- Farsightedness (hyperopia).
It is a frequent eyesight problem where objects up close may look fuzzy, yet objects far away appear clear. The ability to concentrate is affected by how farsighted you are.
- Astigmatism.
A typical abnormality in the eye’s curves is usually curable and produces blurry near- and distant vision. Astigmatism occurs when the front layer of the eye(cornea) or the lens within the eye has uneven curves.
Who should not get LASIK?
Doctors and patients must understand when someone isn’t fit to have laser eye surgery (refractive surgery) and advise avoiding the treatment if the likelihood of a successful outcome is low. You will undergo a complete evaluation at your consultation, and your doctor will let you know if laser eye surgery is an option. They can recommend effective alternative treatments if you need to be a better fit.
Patients might not be appropriate for laser LASIK for three reasons:
- The stability of your eye prescription
Myopic (short-sighted) those who use contact lenses or spectacles know that the values on their prescribed might vary over several visits to the eye doctor in their teenage and even early 20s. And this is brought on by eyeball growth, which typically ceases from 18 to 21.
We refer to an eye prescription as “unstable” when it changes over time, such as during visits to the optician spaced 12 to 24 months apart. We wouldn’t expect the results of laser vision correction to last if we did it when the eye was still developing. Similarly, we wouldn’t expect our kids’ outfits to fit children as they age.
For this reason, before recommending surgery, surgeons must verify that your eye prescription has remained stable. While some fluctuation amongst vision tests is expected, you should generally postpone laser eye surgery if you’re in your mid-20s and the level of short sight is gradually increasing.
- Your cornea is thin or crooked.
If you are sensitive to retinal shape irregularity, laser eye surgery may increase this and cause a disease called corneal ectasia. It rarely happens and is typically successfully managed without a corneal transplant. But we take precautions to prevent laser eye surgery in patients who could be in danger. Suppose your scans show that you are not a candidate for LASIK. In that case, your doctor may offer many effective treatment options and the most up-to-date technology for identifying ectasia risk.
- Your eye vision is not within the acceptable treatment range.
Laser vision correction works by altering the cornea’s shape to enhance focus. The corneal thickness is decreased as the laser reshapes the cornea. There is a restriction to how surgery can make much bending (and shrinking) because the cornea requires a specific uniform thickness to preserve its shape.
Risks of LASIK
- Dryness of Eyes
Tear supply temporarily declines after LASIK surgery. Your eyes may seem especially dry for the initial five months following surgery as they recover. Your eyesight may get blurry if you have dry eyes.
Your ophthalmologist could suggest eye drops for dry eyes. You may choose a different technique to have specialized plugs placed in your water ducts to stop your tears from leaking away from the outside of your eyes if you have dry eyes.
- Double vision or Halos
Following surgery, you may experience trouble seeing at night, typically lasting several nights to a fortnight. Patients may experience higher light intensity, glare, halos surrounding bright lights, or double vision.
Your eyesight in low light (at dusk or in fog) may be less apparent after surgery, even though a satisfactory vision result is achieved under normal challenging conditions.
- Under corrections
You will only get the improved eyesight you expect if the laser destroys enough tissue from your eye. Near-sighted folks are more likely to have under corrections. After a year, you might require a second LASIK treatment to erase additional tissue.
- Overcorrections.
Another possibility is that the laser will remove too many tissues from your eye. Overcorrections could be more challenging to remedy than under-corrections.
- Astigmatism.
Irregular tissue loss might result in astigmatism. It can necessitate more surgery, glasses, or contact lenses.
- Flapping issues
Infections and excessive tears can result from rolling backwards or eliminating the skin from the inside of your eyelid during surgery. During healing, the cornea’s topmost tissue layer may develop irregularly beneath the flap.
Conclusion
LASIK frequently provides better eyesight without the bother of contacts or glasses. Generally speaking, you can recover from refractive surgery with 20/25 vision or better. After LASIK eye error, more than 80% of patients find that they no longer use eyewear for most of their daily activities.
Your unique disorder and other variables will affect your results. Most successful refractive surgery patients have mild to moderate degrees of near-sightedness. Results are less predictable for people with astigmatism and significant near- or farsightedness. Surgery may occasionally occur to correct a problem. If this occurs, you might require additional surgery to make the necessary repair. So to better understand whether you should go for laser eye surgery, it is wise to consult an eye specialist. Your doctor will suggest what’s best for you!
