Is Lasik eye surgery safe?
What are the side effects of Lasik eye surgery?
Can anyone have LASIK eye surgery?
Can I go anywhere and have Lasik eye surgery?
How effective is laser eye surgery?
Is laser eye surgery permanent?
Can you go blind from laser eye surgery?
How long is laser eye surgery good for?
Why is laser eye surgery bad?
Can laser eye surgery fix long and short?
Is the eye laser surgery painful?
Everything about Lasik eye surgery
Approved by the FDA nearly 20 years ago, Lasik surgery is a household name around the conversation of vision.
But, contrary to popular belief, LASIK is not for everyone nor does it fix every vision problem.
Let’s start with the basics about LASIK eye surgery
LASIK is an acronym for laser in situ keratomileusis and is a two-step procedure.
The first step makes a micron-thin, circular flap in the cornea – the surface of the eye. This takes just a few seconds and the surgeon uses either a microkeratome or femtosecond laser. Then, the surgeon gently lifts the flap to expose where the actual vision correction treatment will happen, just under the surface of the eye.
In the second step, a computer-guided excimer laser is used to permanently remove the microscopic pieces of tissue creating the patient’s vision problems. The flap is then laid back in place to act as a natural bandage and protect the reshaped portion of the cornea while it heals.
Since LASIK eye surgery was first approved by the FDA, more than 19 million LASIK procedures have been performed in the U.S. Further, LASIK has received more than 45 FDA approvals, treating myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism and more.
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Do they actually shoot lasers into your eyes?
Yes (and it’s pretty cool). First of all, lasers are simply beams of light that move together within the same wavelength at different speeds. For example, the femtosecond laser that is sometimes used to create the flap, is an infrared laser that pulses at one quadrillionth of a second to create microscopic tissue disruptions within the cornea. The excimer laser used to correct your vision is a cool, ultraviolet light beam with a pulse rate of up to 1000 Hz. Notice each laser references a different color? That is because any given laser uses exactly one color of light from the wavelength spectrum.
Lasers are used in surgeries of all types because they are incredibly precise. This is important because people often refer to LASIK as “slicing” or “cutting” into the eye. The descriptions are not quite accurate. The entire LASIK procedure occurs entirely within the layers of the cornea, no other part of the eye is involved. This is only possible because lasers can be used safely without damaging surrounding tissues.
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Does Lasik eye surgery hurt?
LASIK eye surgery is relatively painless because numbing drops are used to anesthetize the eye before and during the procedure. Patients generally experience some pressure from the eyelid holder used to prevent blinking, but otherwise they are made comfortable with the numbing and lubricating drops. After the procedure some patients will have mild discomfort that on average lasts about 5 hours.
Are you awake during Lasik eye surgery?
Yes, and that usually makes some people cringe a bit. But, in addition to the numbing drops, you are given a valium (or other sedative) to help keep you calm. Further, there is nothing that you could do being awake that would be harmful to you. If your eye moves, the laser’s tracking capabilities follow your eye. If you sneeze or abruptly move your body too much, the laser automatically turns off.
Is Lasik eye surgery safe?
LASIK is among the most studied elective procedures. More than 7,000 clinical studies have been conducted and published about LASIK. As a result, there is a tremendous amount of data supporting its safety and effectiveness.
LASIK eye surgery has one of the highest patient satisfaction rates of any elective procedure: more than 96 percent.
Many LASIK patients have better vision than they did with their best glasses prior to surgery.
In more than 40 million procedures performed worldwide, there has never been a case of blindness because of LASIK in anyone who is a healthy, good candidate.
Read more about: Photorefractive keratectomy(PRK)
What are the side effects of Lasik eye surgery?
It is normal to experience some symptoms during the healing period after LASIK. After all, it is a surgical procedure even if it only took 15 minutes. This recovery period is to be expected and your eyes may feel a little dry, light sensitive or irritated while they heal. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your symptoms during your post-LASIK visits.
Some patients experience side effects from LASIK which generally include night vision visual symptoms such as glare, halos, ghosting and starbursts, as well as dry eye. Typically, glare, halos, ghosting and starbursts gradually resolve by themselves over a period of a few weeks or months, perhaps as long as a year. Some people require additional courses of eye drops to help reduce inflammation and/or dry eye that can contribute to visual symptoms. In rare cases, less than 5 percent of the time, additional LASIK treatment may be recommended to address residual vision problems or you can wear much thinner glasses or contact lenses.
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Can anyone have LASIK eye surgery?
No. In fact, most surgeons report that upwards of 20% of their LASIK consultations are not eligible. Thin or irregular corneas as well as certain eye diseases like glaucoma are likely to disqualify patients for LASIK. Certain autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, and medications, like corticosteroids, that can impair the healing process, sometime make laser vision correction procedures a less-than-ideal choice.
Can I go anywhere and have Lasik eye surgery?
A refractive surgeon (a board-certified ophthalmologist who has completed additional surgical training) performs LASIK, as well as other vision correction procedures.
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Is Lasik eye surgery for me?
Only you can decide if LASIK eye surgery is right for you. Once you have determined if you are a good candidate, found a surgeon you trust and feel comfortable with, you have to make the decision if it’s right for you and your lifestyle. For those patients who want to be less dependent on glasses or contacts, LASIK technologies and outcomes are better than they’ve ever been and there is a huge body of clinical research and literature that backs it up.
The qualifications of a good candidate for refractive or laser eye surgery generally include:
- At least 18 years of age
- Stable eyeglass and contact lense prescription for at least 2 to 3 years
- Stable vision over at least the past year
- No history or findings of active corneal disease
- No significant medical or eye problems, such as previous corneal ulcers, keratoconus (a progressive thinning of the cornea), diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, or glaucoma
- No significant dry eye
- Not pregnant or nursing
- Eyeglass prescription within certain limits set by your eye surgeon
A good candidate also is one who, despite expecting improved vision, will still be OK with the idea of having to wear glasses under certain situations, such as when driving at night.
How effective is laser eye surgery?
The possible benefits of LASIK surgery may not justify the risks. You have fairly good (overall) vision. If you see well enough to need contacts or glasses only part of the time, improvement from the surgery may not be worth the risks. Laser eye surgery is one of the most popular elective surgeries in the country, and its satisfaction rating among patients who’ve had the procedure is remarkably high. Overall, 96% to 98% of lasik patients end up with 20/20 vision. Forty percent to 50% end up with vision that is better than 20/20.
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Is laser eye surgery permanent?
In most cases the improved vision LASIK surgery provides is permanent.
But in a limited number of cases usually due to changes that can occur in the lens inside the eye, with or without LASIK surgery some nearsightedness, farsightedness and/or astigmatism can return over time, causing blurry vision. If a regression of this sort occurs and becomes bothersome, a follow-up procedure called a LASIK enhancement usually can be performed to restore clear vision.
A recent study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery evaluated the long-term stability of PRK, a laser vision correction procedure that is very similar to LASIK.
Researchers in the UK monitored the vision of 46 PRK patients for a period of 18 years. Prior to surgery, all patients were nearsighted, with an average eyeglass prescription of -4.86 D (range: -2.75 to -7.37 D).
Patients who were under age 40 at the time of their LASIK procedure had an average regression of -0.54 D during the 18-year follow-up period. Those who were over age 40 when they underwent LASIK had an average regression of only -0.05 D.
During laser eye surgery, a laser is used to remove a pre-determined amount of tissue and once the tissue is removed, it cannot grow back. Therefore, the result of a laser vision correction procedure is permanent.
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Can you go blind from laser eye surgery?
Total blindness caused by laser eye surgery is extremely rare. The American Refractive Surgery Council states that no one has ever gone completely blind from laser eye surgery, with “inadequate aftercare” being the direct cause of any laser eye surgery-induced blindness. In short, no one has got off the operating table without being able to see. Any potential visual issues develop in the coming weeks in the rare event that the patient deviates from the aftercare guidelines. Further to this, technological advancements in the laser eye surgery industry ensure consistently-improving success rates.
Ultimately, if the fear of going blind is what’s been keeping you from taking the plunge and getting laser eye surgery, you have nothing to fear. You’re almost as likely to be hit by lightning (chance of 1 in 6 million) as you are to go blind from treatment.
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How long is laser eye surgery good for?
For the majority of people who have LASIK, they remain happy with their vision after 10 years.
One study found that 35 percent of individuals who had LASIK needed retreatment over 10 years. Another studyTrusted Source followed individuals with nearsightedness and/or astigmatism who had LASIK. In 12 years, they found that around 10 percent of study participants experienced age-related vision changes over the course of that time.
If your vision becomes blurry again for other reasons after your first procedure, you may be able to have LASIK enhancement even years later. It depends on how much tissue was removed during the first procedure and how much is left.
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Why is laser eye surgery bad?
The main side effects with LASIK are mild including dry eye, burning, and itching, which affect 20% to 40% of people who have the procedure. These symptoms usually peak around 3 months after the surgery and disappear within 6 to 12 months but not always.
Can laser eye surgery fix long and short?
Laser Eye Surgery can treat short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism, and now, the need for reading glasses (presbyopia).
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Is the eye laser surgery painful?
The laser procedure is generally painless. The anaesthetic will be in full effect, making the eye completely numb. Some patients have reported feeling some slight pressure on their eye while the laser is being applied to it. The laser treatment itself only takes around 30-40 seconds, so any feeling of discomfort will be minimal and short-lived.
Patients have reported a variety of experiences after laser eye surgery. Some PRK and LASEK patients experience a mild stinging sensation, while others feel moderate pain. For PRK patients, the discomfort usually stops after the epithelium has completely closed. For LASEK patients, the recovery period is shorter.
LASIK patients have it much easier when it comes to the healing process as the corneal flap heals very quickly. Most experience dryness and a mild stinging sensation at worst.
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