Everything You Should Know About LASIK Eye Surgery

Imagine, dealing with weak vision in day-to-day tasks! It could be daunting, isn’t it? Wearing glasses or lenses may help to some extent but these aids aren't very good solutions to astigmatism and other complicated eye problems. For such problems, the laser surgeries are ideal and one amongst them is LASIK surgery. LASIK is a simple process that alters the shape of the cornea (the topmost part of an eye) using an excimer laser.

Knowing the LASIK Procedure in Detail

Laser treatments help in correcting the refractive disorder. These refractive errors are caused due to imperfectly shaped cornea. The four types of refractive errors are:

• Nearsightedness (myopia)
• Farsightedness (hyperopia)
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia or aging eye

During LASIK surgery, the process starts with using numbing eye drops, then a circular flap incision is created in front of the cornea using a beam of femtosecond laser. The corneal flap is folded back, an excimer laser beam is used to reshape the cornea, correcting the imperfections and thus, making your vision clearer and sharper.

Benefits of Laser Treatment

There are many benefits associated with LASIK. Some of them are:

• Quick Recovery Getting a near-perfect vision within a day is possible with LASIK. You can see immediately after LASIK but your vision might be slightly blurred. Usually, post-surgery it takes about a month for the vision to stabilize. Since there are no stitches involved, the person can resume their daily chores after 24 hours. It is always advisable to take rest for a few days after the surgery as the healing process differs from patient to patient. Be informed that you cannot start driving right away after a LASIK surgery but most surgeons estimate that patients can return to their daily activities post-surgery.
• Fewer Complications Complications are rare with LASIK as it has a good success rate. Cases related to loss of vision are very rare. Overall, most of the people are satisfied with the results. Some common side effects like dry eyes and temporary visual disturbances are relatively common that go away with time and proper medication.

How You Should Go About Your LASIK Eye Surgery?

Any surgery calls for a proper consultation and basic examination. Before undergoing LASIK eye surgery, you should meet your coordinator and discuss what to expect before and after the procedure. During this consultation, your medical history is going to be examined as well. You can expect some initial tests related to refraction, corneal thickness, eye pressure, corneal mapping, and pupil dilation. Once the initial evaluation is done, you will meet your surgeon and you can discuss any inhibition if you have. In the end, all you have to do is schedule an appointment for the surgery. Be informed that you should not wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses for at least three weeks before getting evaluated. If you wear soft contact lenses, you shouldn’t wear those three days before the evaluation. Also, make sure you do not wear any eye makeup on the day of surgery (speak to your doctor before applying after the procedure). In addition, bring your spectacles to your surgeon so that the prescription can be assessed. LASIK is the right remedy for your visual acuity dilemmas. Time to say bye to those glasses or contact lenses.