Some people who undergo LASIK surgery have experienced some kind of complication . However, if you have an experienced surgeon by your side, the rate of surgical complications is far reduced. Common sense aside, one should base their decisions on the actual facts reported by their treatment provider. Overall, the number of complications are generally reported to be less than 1%. Most of the reported problems are handled through laser re-treatments or enhancements.
In order to understand the kind of complications people have your should understand what a LASIK treatment is all about. During LASIK surgery a laser beam is used to cut a very thin, hinged flap into the front of the eye. The flap is then lifted and the laser is applied to re-shape the eye, and then the flap is replaced to heal.
Some of the more common types of LASIK complications are improperly formed LASIK flaps: Sometimes after the first surgery a patient might experience an improperly formed flap. This might create an irregular surface and cause various vision defects. In such cases, LASIK surgery needs to be repeated one or more times to make the eye surface smooth.
Inflammation: Sometimes there might be inflammation that can develop in areas where the flap comes in contact with the eye. Such a condition, is called diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK). It may create symptoms such as sensitivity towards light and loss of Vision .
Epithelial In growth: If there is any kind of initial swelling in the eye it might create a common LASIK complication called Epithelial in growth, This condition can be best described as a type of scarring which leads to an irregular eye surface and other vision distortions. In such a condition the surgeon lifts the flap and scrapes out the epithelial growth from inside. This is certainly not a full proof method. It has been noticed that in many cases the epithelial in growth reoccurs.
Some other common types of LASIK complications include dry eye, infections and night vision problems such as glaring around the lights.
Many trained surgeons feel that by using better technology and more precise instruments the chances of having a major LASIK complication can be avoided. People who have had a history of eye complications or infections are not advised to go for these surgeries.
Showing posts with label lasik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lasik. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A Cure for Near Sightedness - Radial Keratotomy
Radial keratotomy (RK) is a refractive surgical procedure employed to correct myopia or nearsightedness. Radial Keratotomy came into existence by accident rather than through meticulous research. The procedure was discovered by Dr. Svyatoslav Fyodorov when he operated one of his patients who had met with a bicycle accident. The boy wore eyeglasses, which broke on impact, and the glass splinters lodged into his eyes. The doctor had to make several radial incisions in the corneal tissue in order to extract the glass. When the cornea healed, the doctor found that the boy’s eyesight was significantly improved.
In radial keratotomy (RK), a series of micro-fine incisions are made in the outer portion of the cornea with the aid of a high-precision calibrated diamond knife. The surgeon administers a local anesthetic, since the incisions are superficial and the procedure is fairly painless. The corneal thickness of the patient’s eye is measured prior to the surgery. Before the incisions are made, the diamond-edged cutting instrument is precisely set under the operating microscope. Thus by flattening the curvature of the cornea in such a manner, RK can easily correct myopia or nearsightedness.
Radial keratotomy was first introduced in the United States in the 1980s. Initially it was much of an investigational procedure, with doctors operating only one eye at a time and waiting for at least 3 months to observe the results, before operating on the other eye. But the surgeons gained experience over time and now they could well operate both eyes simultaneously. Now, radial keratotomy is a minor surgery that takes about 15 to 20 minutes for each eye.
Radial keratotomy is constantly improving, owing much to the rapid advances in technology, and the fact that a number of such procedures have already been performed successfully. However, RK is not as precise as LASIK and PRK. Since, RK is less predictable, only a few surgeons now perform this procedure.
In radial keratotomy (RK), a series of micro-fine incisions are made in the outer portion of the cornea with the aid of a high-precision calibrated diamond knife. The surgeon administers a local anesthetic, since the incisions are superficial and the procedure is fairly painless. The corneal thickness of the patient’s eye is measured prior to the surgery. Before the incisions are made, the diamond-edged cutting instrument is precisely set under the operating microscope. Thus by flattening the curvature of the cornea in such a manner, RK can easily correct myopia or nearsightedness.
Radial keratotomy was first introduced in the United States in the 1980s. Initially it was much of an investigational procedure, with doctors operating only one eye at a time and waiting for at least 3 months to observe the results, before operating on the other eye. But the surgeons gained experience over time and now they could well operate both eyes simultaneously. Now, radial keratotomy is a minor surgery that takes about 15 to 20 minutes for each eye.
Radial keratotomy is constantly improving, owing much to the rapid advances in technology, and the fact that a number of such procedures have already been performed successfully. However, RK is not as precise as LASIK and PRK. Since, RK is less predictable, only a few surgeons now perform this procedure.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A Brief Ovierview Of Lasik Eye Surgery
LASIK, an acronym for Laser-assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, is a form of refractive laser eye surgery procedure performed by ophthalmologists intended for correcting vision. The procedure is usually a preferred alternative to photorefractive keratectomy, PRK, as it requires less time for full recovery, and the patient experiences less pain overall.
The LASIK technique was made possible by Dr Jose Barraquer (Colombia), who around 1960 developed the first microkeratome, used to cut thin flaps in the cornea and alter its shape, in a procedure called keratomileusis. This procedure was developed and pioneered by the world leading Barraquer Clinic, based in Bogota, Colombia.
LASIK surgery was developed in 1990 by Dr. Lucio Buratto (Italy) and Dr. Ioannis Pallikaris (Greece) as a melding of two prior techniques, keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy. It quickly became popular because of its greater precision and lower frequency of complications in comparison with these former two techniques.
In 1991, LASIK was performed for the first time in the United States by Drs. Stephen Brint and Stephen Slade. The same year, Drs. Thomas and Tobias Neuhann successfully treated the first German LASIK patients with an automated microkeratome.
Patients wearing soft contact lenses typically are instructed to stop wearing them approximately 7 to 10 days before surgery. One industry body recommends that patients wearing hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts had been worn.
Before the surgery, the surfaces of the patient's corneas are examined with a computer-controlled scanning device to determine their exact shape. Using low-power lasers, it creates a topographic map of the cornea.
This process also detects astigmatism and other irregularities in the shape of the cornea. Using this information, the surgeon calculates the amount and locations of corneal tissue to be removed during the operation. The patient typically is prescribed an antibiotic to start taking beforehand, to minimize the risk of infection after the procedure.
The operation is performed with the patient awake and mobile; however, the patient typically is given a mild sedative (such as Valium or diazepam) and anesthetic eye drops.
Lasik is performed in two steps. The initial step is to create a flap of corneal tissue. This process is achieved with a mechanical microkeratome using a metal blade, or a femtosecond laser microkeratome that creates a series of tiny closely arranged bubbles within the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back, revealing the stroma, the middle section of the cornea. The process of lifting and folding back the flap can be uncomfortable.
The second step of the procedure is to use an excimer laser (193 nm) to remodel the corneal stroma. The laser vaporizes tissue in a finely controlled manner without damaging adjacent stroma by releasing the molecular bonds that hold the cells together. No burning with heat or actual cutting is required to ablate the tissue. The layers of tissue removed are tens of micrometers thick.
During the second step, the patient's vision will become very blurry once the flap is lifted. He or she will be able to see only white light surrounding the orange light of the laser. This can be disorienting.
Currently manufactured excimer lasers use a computer system that tracks the patient's eye position up to 4,000 times per second, redirecting laser pulses for precise placement. After the laser has reshaped the cornea, the Lasik flap is repositioned over the treatment area by the surgeon. The flap remains in position by natural adhesion until healing is completed.
Performing the laser ablation in the deeper corneal stroma typically provides for more rapid visual recovery and less pain.
The LASIK technique was made possible by Dr Jose Barraquer (Colombia), who around 1960 developed the first microkeratome, used to cut thin flaps in the cornea and alter its shape, in a procedure called keratomileusis. This procedure was developed and pioneered by the world leading Barraquer Clinic, based in Bogota, Colombia.
LASIK surgery was developed in 1990 by Dr. Lucio Buratto (Italy) and Dr. Ioannis Pallikaris (Greece) as a melding of two prior techniques, keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy. It quickly became popular because of its greater precision and lower frequency of complications in comparison with these former two techniques.
In 1991, LASIK was performed for the first time in the United States by Drs. Stephen Brint and Stephen Slade. The same year, Drs. Thomas and Tobias Neuhann successfully treated the first German LASIK patients with an automated microkeratome.
Patients wearing soft contact lenses typically are instructed to stop wearing them approximately 7 to 10 days before surgery. One industry body recommends that patients wearing hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts had been worn.
Before the surgery, the surfaces of the patient's corneas are examined with a computer-controlled scanning device to determine their exact shape. Using low-power lasers, it creates a topographic map of the cornea.
This process also detects astigmatism and other irregularities in the shape of the cornea. Using this information, the surgeon calculates the amount and locations of corneal tissue to be removed during the operation. The patient typically is prescribed an antibiotic to start taking beforehand, to minimize the risk of infection after the procedure.
The operation is performed with the patient awake and mobile; however, the patient typically is given a mild sedative (such as Valium or diazepam) and anesthetic eye drops.
Lasik is performed in two steps. The initial step is to create a flap of corneal tissue. This process is achieved with a mechanical microkeratome using a metal blade, or a femtosecond laser microkeratome that creates a series of tiny closely arranged bubbles within the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back, revealing the stroma, the middle section of the cornea. The process of lifting and folding back the flap can be uncomfortable.
The second step of the procedure is to use an excimer laser (193 nm) to remodel the corneal stroma. The laser vaporizes tissue in a finely controlled manner without damaging adjacent stroma by releasing the molecular bonds that hold the cells together. No burning with heat or actual cutting is required to ablate the tissue. The layers of tissue removed are tens of micrometers thick.
During the second step, the patient's vision will become very blurry once the flap is lifted. He or she will be able to see only white light surrounding the orange light of the laser. This can be disorienting.
Currently manufactured excimer lasers use a computer system that tracks the patient's eye position up to 4,000 times per second, redirecting laser pulses for precise placement. After the laser has reshaped the cornea, the Lasik flap is repositioned over the treatment area by the surgeon. The flap remains in position by natural adhesion until healing is completed.
Performing the laser ablation in the deeper corneal stroma typically provides for more rapid visual recovery and less pain.
Friday, July 2, 2010
7 Commonly Asked Questions About Laser Eye Surgery
Lasik and other forms of laser eye surgery have become so common and effective that many health plans around the country may soon begin paying for them as acceptable forms of eye surgery. And if they don't, they should. The success rate with lasik eye surgery and laser eye surgery, in general, has made the procedure a household name, and made it also more affordable, so many more people can actually consider the procedure.
But no matter how many people have lasik eye surgery or laser eye surgery, you may still have your reservations. After all, they are slicing into your eyes, two of the most important organs you have, with a white-hot laser. So don't be afraid to ask any questions that you may have, and do as much research as necessary to make yourself comfortable with the procedure. Hopefully, we can get a jumpstart for you here with this article - and the answers to the 7 most commonly asked questions about laser eye surgery.
#1: What exactly is laser eye surgery? Lasik is one form of laser eye surgery, whose sole job is to make you not dependent on your glasses or contacts anymore. Lasik stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis.
#2: How does lasik work to correct vision? You sure you want to know the answer to this one? Kidding aside, laser eye surgery works because it actually changes the shape of your cornea, or the clear lens of your eye that allows light to enter your eye. Doctors use a microkeratome, a knife, to create a flap in your cornea. This is then folded back and a laser, called an excimer laser, is used to "shave" off the cornea until it's the proper shape. Of course, there are other types of laser eye surgery out there, some of which you may have already heard about, like intralase surgery.
#3: How do I know if lasik is right for me? There are a lot of considerations to make before you get the laser eye surgery. First, you have to ask yourself whether or not you can afford the procedure, or whether or not your work and health insurance will pick it up.
#4: Are there other medical conditions that could interfere with the surgery? Yes, you should be aware of any medications that you may be taking that can slow down your healing, such as steroids. You should make sure you don't suffer from a condition that could slow your healing, such as an autoimmune condition.
#5: Are all eyes able to be "shaved"? No, some eyes, especially those with other conditions, such as dry eye, thin corneas, or pupil disorders, do not make good candidates for laser eye surgery. If your prescription is still in flux - if you've changed prescriptions in the last year or two - you should probably hold off on the lasik eye surgery as well.
#6: Does laser eye surgery work 100 percent of the time? No, sometimes the results are not permanent. In that case, repeated procedures may be needed down the road. You could also suffer side effects such as dry eyes, contrast sensitivity, or even blindness.
#7: How do I find a doctor? Ask around your friends, family, colleagues, and other doctors. The best laser eye surgery doctors should be experienced, have the latest equipment, be able to explain everything about the procedure to your heart's content, and offer care down the road.
But no matter how many people have lasik eye surgery or laser eye surgery, you may still have your reservations. After all, they are slicing into your eyes, two of the most important organs you have, with a white-hot laser. So don't be afraid to ask any questions that you may have, and do as much research as necessary to make yourself comfortable with the procedure. Hopefully, we can get a jumpstart for you here with this article - and the answers to the 7 most commonly asked questions about laser eye surgery.
#1: What exactly is laser eye surgery? Lasik is one form of laser eye surgery, whose sole job is to make you not dependent on your glasses or contacts anymore. Lasik stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis.
#2: How does lasik work to correct vision? You sure you want to know the answer to this one? Kidding aside, laser eye surgery works because it actually changes the shape of your cornea, or the clear lens of your eye that allows light to enter your eye. Doctors use a microkeratome, a knife, to create a flap in your cornea. This is then folded back and a laser, called an excimer laser, is used to "shave" off the cornea until it's the proper shape. Of course, there are other types of laser eye surgery out there, some of which you may have already heard about, like intralase surgery.
#3: How do I know if lasik is right for me? There are a lot of considerations to make before you get the laser eye surgery. First, you have to ask yourself whether or not you can afford the procedure, or whether or not your work and health insurance will pick it up.
#4: Are there other medical conditions that could interfere with the surgery? Yes, you should be aware of any medications that you may be taking that can slow down your healing, such as steroids. You should make sure you don't suffer from a condition that could slow your healing, such as an autoimmune condition.
#5: Are all eyes able to be "shaved"? No, some eyes, especially those with other conditions, such as dry eye, thin corneas, or pupil disorders, do not make good candidates for laser eye surgery. If your prescription is still in flux - if you've changed prescriptions in the last year or two - you should probably hold off on the lasik eye surgery as well.
#6: Does laser eye surgery work 100 percent of the time? No, sometimes the results are not permanent. In that case, repeated procedures may be needed down the road. You could also suffer side effects such as dry eyes, contrast sensitivity, or even blindness.
#7: How do I find a doctor? Ask around your friends, family, colleagues, and other doctors. The best laser eye surgery doctors should be experienced, have the latest equipment, be able to explain everything about the procedure to your heart's content, and offer care down the road.
Friday, April 23, 2010
10 Reasons For Eye Surgery Lasik!
There is no "best" method for correcting vision errors. The most appropriate correction for you depends on your eyes and your lifestyle. You should discuss you situation with your ophthalmologist or eye doctor to decide which correction will be most effective for you.
10 Reasons for Lasik!
1. Nothing is as sweet as the freedom from the hassles and inconveniences of contacts or glasses.
2. You save money! Over the years, the costs of lenses, solutions and glasses amounts to thousands of dollars.
3. You save time! In one year, the average contact lens wearer spends nearly 60 hours wetting, soaking, rubbing, cleaning and otherwise maintaining them. This is about 2.5 whole days!
4. Imagine waking up in the morning, and being able to see the clock!
5. You get to go swimming, scuba diving and be able to see things!
6. You are able to spontaneously go camping or stay overnight.
7. You are able to take a nap when the mood strikes without first having to remove lenses. Imagine the hassle saved!
8. You will be able to see while putting on makeup or shaving, no more squinting!
9. You will be able to participate in outdoor sports without glasses that fog or get splashed with rain or lenses that dry out in the wind.
10. And most important of all, you w ill be able to avoid the negative consequences of long term contact lens wear!
Clinicians wishing to undertake laser eye surgery should ensure that patients understand the benefits and potential risks of the procedure. So the better you understand your LASIK surgery, and what happens after your surgery, the better prepared you'll be for your surgery. Patients should be counseled on the potential risks and benefits of LASIK, then make an informed decision. No matter what your motivation may be, the decision to have eye improvement surgery is no small task and it should be considered carefully. If you decide Lasik surgery is for you, consulting your eye doctor is critical to making an informed decision.
10 Reasons for Lasik!
1. Nothing is as sweet as the freedom from the hassles and inconveniences of contacts or glasses.
2. You save money! Over the years, the costs of lenses, solutions and glasses amounts to thousands of dollars.
3. You save time! In one year, the average contact lens wearer spends nearly 60 hours wetting, soaking, rubbing, cleaning and otherwise maintaining them. This is about 2.5 whole days!
4. Imagine waking up in the morning, and being able to see the clock!
5. You get to go swimming, scuba diving and be able to see things!
6. You are able to spontaneously go camping or stay overnight.
7. You are able to take a nap when the mood strikes without first having to remove lenses. Imagine the hassle saved!
8. You will be able to see while putting on makeup or shaving, no more squinting!
9. You will be able to participate in outdoor sports without glasses that fog or get splashed with rain or lenses that dry out in the wind.
10. And most important of all, you w ill be able to avoid the negative consequences of long term contact lens wear!
Clinicians wishing to undertake laser eye surgery should ensure that patients understand the benefits and potential risks of the procedure. So the better you understand your LASIK surgery, and what happens after your surgery, the better prepared you'll be for your surgery. Patients should be counseled on the potential risks and benefits of LASIK, then make an informed decision. No matter what your motivation may be, the decision to have eye improvement surgery is no small task and it should be considered carefully. If you decide Lasik surgery is for you, consulting your eye doctor is critical to making an informed decision.
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