Am I Suitable for Lasik?

Not all eyes can be treated with lasik. There are some preset guidelines to maintain safety of lasik. Some factors to consider are - Cost - Lasik is a costly procedure. You need to check if your insurance company will cover the cost. Or if your are Profession - if you are in the military, aviation etc, do they allow you to undergo this procedure at all. You might be better without lasik, than losing your job. Refraction Stability - the power of your glasses should be stable or constant for at least 6 months. This is to ensure that your eye power does not vary after the procedure naturally and undo the effect of lasik Diseases and Medications - Some autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency states, diabetes, some medications may prevent proper healing after a refractive procedure. Get yourself examined by a physician and get clearence for lasik. Contact Sports - if you enjoy participating in boxing, wrestling, martial arts etc. there is a definite risk of injury to the eye. Precautions are needed to avoid such sports after surgery for some time. Adult age - no lasik before 18 years as the refractive stability is not ensured and the power of your eye may change naturally after the procedure. Large pupils occur under dim light - This can cause symptoms such as glare, halos, starbursts, and ghost images (double vision) after surgery. It may cause difficulty in driving a car at night or in certain weather conditions, such as fog. So you should be prepared that this can occur. Thin Cornea - Lasik works by changing the eye’s focusing power by reshaping the cornea. There is a minimum limit of corneal thickness below which lasik is not done to avoid ocular complications. Some eye diseases like keratoconus etc. lead to thin corneas and surgery is avoided. Previous refractive surgery (e.g., RK, PRK, LASIK). A lot more factors need to be considered to determine the outcome and discussion with your doctor is essential. Blepharitis or inflammation and crusting of the eyelids eyelashes may increase the risk of infection or inflammation of the cornea after LASIK. Dry eye tends to aggravate after lasik...

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lasik Eya Surgery Guide

LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The goal of this Web site is to provide objective information to the public about LASIK surgery. See other sections of this site to learn about what you should know before surgery, what will happen during the surgery, and what you should expect after surgery. There is a glossary of terms and a checklist of issues for you to consider, practices to follow, and questions to ask your doctor before undergoing LASIK surgery.

What I Feel During Lasik?

Lasik is a comfortable eye surgery. The surgery will take about 30 minutes. It is essential you know what you will encounter during the procedure.

A numbing local anesthetic drop will be placed in your eye so that you dont feel the pain or any sensation.

The area around your eye will be cleaned with a sterile betadine or other sterilizing agent to reduce chances of any infection.

A lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open, so that you dont blink during the surgery

A ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will temporarily dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort.

The microkeratome is a cutting instrument which is attached to the suction ring and used to cut a flap in your cornea.

The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed. You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision.

The flap is folded back on its hinge, to expose the underlying corneal tissue.

The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This helps to track your eye and see that it is properly centered.

When your eye is in the correct position, the laser which is preprogrammed to vaporize specific amount of corneal tissue based on your eye parameters. You might notice some unusual sounds and smell.

The flap is put back into position.

A shield might be provided to cover the eye. This prevents you from rubbing your eye, putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidental injury.

Wearing Contact Lenses Before Lasik?

If you wear contact lenses and are thinking of undergoing lasik, you will have to stop wearing contact lenses for a few weeks.

Why?
Contact lenses change the shape of your cornea for up to several weeks after you have stopped using them depending on the type of contact lenses you wear.

Soft contact lenses, Stop wearing contact lenses for 2 weeks before your initial evaluation.

Toric soft lenses or rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses -Stop wearing contact lenses for at least 3 weeks before your initial evaluation.

Hard lenses -Stop wearing contact lenses for at least 4 weeks before your initial evaluation.