Every individual wants his or her vision to be intact and for some wearing corrective glasses after some time becomes tough. In such a scenario, a permanent solution is what an individual looks for, where, the need of wearing spectacles or contact lenses is eliminated. Lasik Eye Surgery is the safest and most permanent solution.
Due to various factors such as age, prolonged use of spectacles, and strain issues on the eyes, people choose a permanent solution for vision improvement. Improving vision permanently and getting rid of spectacles are among the common goals of people who want to undergo laser eye surgery or Lasik surgery. People who are suffering from astigmatism, near-sightedness, and far-sightedness can opt for alternatives to wearing spectacles by undergoing Lasik surgery.
This surgery is a procedure that corrects refractive errors or imperfections of vision to improve the eyes’ ability to focus. LASIK uses a laser to reshape the cornea as it plays a vital role in forming an image. A person experiences blurred vision, in case, the light passes through the cornea and the lens does not focus on the retina clearly. This is where the reshaping of the cornea acts as the best solution to work over imperfections of vision.
How does Lasik Eye Surgery help?
Lasik surgery is not limited to treating only one eye condition; instead, it can be used to treat multiple issues pertaining to vision. However, choosing the best and most experienced ophthalmologist is a prerequisite for the best results. Following vision problems are treated with laser eye surgery:
Near-sightedness
When the person is short-sighted or near-sighted, he/she can focus on the objects positioned nearby as compared to distant objects. This condition is also known as myopia, wherein, the eyeball is longer than the retina. As a result, light cannot be focused on the retina and that caused blurred vision.
Far-sightedness
Also known as hyperopia, or far-sightedness is a condition wherein, the person cannot focus on nearby objects. The objects positioned at a distance are much clear to the individual. This condition is caused due to the flatter retina or shorter eyeball. As a result, light focuses behind the retina, causing blurred vision.
Astigmatism
This is an eye condition, where, the cornea flattens unevenly or gets curved, leading to vision problems irrespective of distance. A person can have either far-sightedness, near-sightedness, or astigmatism.
In either of these cases, Blue light glasses are recommended to the patient which is a temporary solution, or, he can opt for Lasik surgery for permanent visual results.
Who is not eligible for Lasik eye surgery?
If the person’s vision is not stable, he cannot undergo Lasik surgery. In order to be eligible for Laser eye surgery, the contact lens prescription of the candidate should remain stable for at least 6 months or more. However, there are some conditions which, if diagnosed, the patient cannot undergo Lasik surgery. For instance, Glaucoma, dry eye, large pupils, cataracts, and prolonged eye infections are some of the conditions which disqualify the candidate from undergoing laser eye surgery.
Top 6 Reasons for Undergoing Lasik eye surgery
The foremost important thing to notice about Lasik or laser eye surgery is that person does not have to anymore wear corrective glasses after the treatment. Following are the other scenarios when candidates can prefer to undergo laser eye surgery:
- Freedom from wearing spectacles or contact lenses
- Improve vision for sports activities and avoid contact lenses
- Improve self-confidence in both personal and professional life
- Lasik eye surgery is cost-effective. The Lasik treatment cost in India is comparatively less than in other countries of the nation
- Lasik surgery is an out-patient treatment with no requirement of hospitalization, therefore it is easy and convenient
- Risks of contact lenses such as ocular infection are avoided
Expectations from laser eye surgery
It takes less than 30 minutes to execute the process of Lasik surgery. If the person has to get both eyes operated on, then, tentatively 5 minutes per eye is the suggested timeline of laser eye surgery. These are some of the points a patient shall expect while undergoing laser eye surgery:
- Sitting in a chair and reclining to keep back straight, so that, the eye is positioned under the laser device and computer screen.
- Area surrounding the eye is cleaned and the numbing drops are administered to the eye.
- A medical instrument called a lid speculum is used by surgeons to hold eyelids open.
- A flap is cut in the cornea by the surgeon by using laser and it is further lifted to open.
- The person needs to look at the light with eyes still when laser surgery is being executed.
- Cornea will then be reshaped with the help of a laser
- The last stage is to place the flap back into position and shield the eye.
Recovery Time
For a few days after the surgery, the patient may feel itching or a burning sensation or he may feel that a foreign object is present in the eye. In such conditions, pain relief medication has to be used by him as prescribed by the doctor. To protect the eye, the surgeon will provide an eye shield so that patient does not rub the eye accidentally. This eye guard also avoids discomfort while sleeping.
It is ideal for an individual to take rest for a few days and not strain their eyes. He should take a few days off from work and visit the eye doctor within the first 24-48 hours for an examination. This step is essential as the doctor will examine whether the person’s eye is healing, the way it should or not. After this follow-up, the patient will require several appointments in the first 6 months to assess recovery of the eye.
Overall Results of laser eye surgery
Generally, a period of 6 months is the tentative time to stabilize the vision of a person after laser eye surgery. Initially, the fluctuations in the vision may be noticed, but, this is a part of recovery and should not be a matter of concern.
In fact, variations in the sight of a candidate may also be a common observation in the first few months after the Lasik surgery. If the under or over-corrected vision is the case, the eye care specialist should be visited for enhancement.
It is always ideal to choose the best laser eye surgery specialist rather than opting for the less experienced ophthalmologist. It is highly recommended to conduct research about the expertise of the eye care specialist and his proficiency before finalizing him. Last, but not least, the proven track record and previous success stories of the eye care clinic should be evaluated to choose the top laser eye surgery specialist.
