Laser eye surgery is a medical procedure consisting of the use of laser for reshaping the surface of the cornea. It is used to improve myopia (shortsightedness), hypermetropia (long sightedness) or astigmatism. The first information on laser eye surgery dates back from over twenty years ago.

During laser eye surgery, an excimer controlled by a computer is used to remove tiny amounts of corneal tissue. The aim of the procedure is to restore normal vision, relieving the patient from wearing glasses or contacts.

In one type of laser eye surgery, the outer layer of the cornea, also called epithelium, is removed and an excimer laser is used to reshape underneath tissue. This procedure is called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

In a newer procedure, a microkeratome is used to cut a flap in the corneal tissue, which is then lifted and an excimer laser is used to reshape underlying tissue. In the end, the flap is put back to its place. This type of laser eye surgery is called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Nowadays, it is more commonly used than PRK.

Information on Laser Eye Surgery Procedure

The excimer laser is a special type of laser that does not burn the corneal tissue, but vaporizes a small quantity of the cornea each time a beam is pulsed onto the eye surface. The number of pulses and diameter of the beam are carefully controlled by a computer to enhance accuracy.

Local anesthetic eye drops are used before the surgery. The procedure takes a few minutes per eye. The actual time when the laser is used for reshaping the corneal tissue is generally less than a minute.

Various eye conditions require different types of treatment:
l Myopia - the central peak of the cornea has to be flattened in order to reduce short-sightedness and improve vision.
l Hypermetropia - the central peak of the cornea has to be made steeper in order to improve vision. The laser is applied to the edges of the cornea.
l Astigmatism - this is a condition where the cornea is not evenly curved. The laser is applied more linear to improve vision.

Information on Laser Eye Surgery - Post Surgery

After laser eye surgery, you should expect some minor discomfort. However, you should be able to see, although not very clearly. You won't be able to drive on your own, so you need to have someone drive you home or take a cab.

Information on Laser Eye Surgery Possible Side Effects

Just like any operation, laser eye surgery involves a few risks as well. You should have some information on laser eye surgery and its possible complications and side effects before deciding you want to have this type of surgery.
l Treatment not successful - this may be the result of either under treatment and over treatment. You may need another surgery to enhance vision.
l Dry eyes - you might have to use eye drops.
l Delayed healing - the flap or the outer layer of the cornea might not heal properly and require follow-up treatment.
l Infection - in case of an infection, you may need to follow an antibiotic treatment.
l Superficial scarring - a second procedure might be needed to repair scarred tissue.
l Excessive thinning of the cornea - vision problems may return and you might need to use contacts or have another surgery.
l Sensitive eyes - some patients experience excessive sensitivity to glare, which makes driving more difficult.
l Blurred vision - 'halos' might result from the surgical procedure, but usually they fade out over time.

Before deciding on a certain type of laser eye surgery, you should consult a doctor to examine your eye condition thoroughly, provide you with information on laser eye surgery risks and benefits and give you some advice on which procedure is best for your specific problems.

Most patients who undergo refractive surgery are delighted with the results. However, just like any other surgical procedure, there are also some risks that come with it. This is why it is very important to be aware of the possible complications, effects and laser eye surgery risks.

Here is a list of the most common laser eye surgery risks, and complications

In order to understand the complications, there has to be a simple understanding of the procedure of Lasik eye surgery. Lasik eye surgery involves the cutting of a small flap in the front covering of the eye or cornea. The flap is lifted so that the laser may reshape the eye and then the flap is replaced as a type of bandage.

The flap is cut using a type of bladed instrument called a "microkeratome" or else with a laser. The surgeon's preference determines what technology is used. Using a laser to perform this portion of the procedure allows for more precision and, therefore, fewer complications are likely to arise.

Now, if the flap is not cut correctly it may fail to form properly to the surface of the eye. The flap might also be cut too small or thin, which would cause wrinkling upon the attempt to adhere the flap to the surface of the eye. These complications can lead to an irregularly shaped eye surface and in time may lead to astigmatism or blurry vision.

Vision Loss

After the procedure, a very small percentage of all patients experience a vision loss which cannot be corrected with glasses, contacts or a second surgery. This is a very rare, but very serious laser eye surgery risk.

Debilitating Visual Symptoms

Some patients experience halos, glare or double vision after surgery. This causes serious night vision problems. Even if they have a good vision on the vision chart, they may not see well at night, in fog or in other situations of low contrast. They may even see worse in these situations than they did before treatment.

Under Treatment or Over Treatment

This is a very frequent laser eye surgery risk. Only a small percentage of patients obtain 20/20 vision after surgery without glasses or contacts. You may need additional treatment to enhance vision, but this is not always possible. Even if you used to wear very weak prescription glasses before treatment, you may still need glasses or contact lenses afterwards. If you used to wear reading glasses before, you might still need them after surgery.

Severe Dry Eye Syndrome

Another laser eye surgery risk is to develop serious dry eye syndrome. After surgery, your eyes might not be able to produce enough tears for keeping moist. This not only produces discomfort, by can also reduce quality vision due to permanent blurring and other problems. This eye condition may be permanent. It is usually treated with intensive eye drop therapy, but other procedures can also be used.

Results Diminishing with Age

Another laser eye surgery risk is for results to decrease over time, especially in patients with farsighted vision. If your manifest refraction (an exam with lenses before using dilating drops) differs from your cyclopegic refraction (another exam with lenses after applying dilating drops), the chances of getting this side effect are higher.

For newer technologies, there is not enough research data available. As some of them have been developed only a few years ago, long-term effectiveness and safety cannot be determined yet. Even though they are more advanced, they might have some unknown long-term side effects.

As with any surgical procedure, there are a variety of complications. Care must be taken to select the right Lasik eye surgeon for your specific needs and also to decide of Lasik eye surgery is the right procedure for you. The most important factor in successful surgery is to find an experienced surgeon, who will monitor your follow up care, and be there with you if you find yourself having any of these complications.

Laser Eye Surgery Risks

Visit this site to read an article from the FDA Consumer Magazine about laser eye surgery to correct vision problems. You will learn what types of vision problems can be corrected by laser eye surgery. Occasionally the vision through corrective lenses is actually worse after refractive or laser eye surgery than it was before. It usually has no effect on the final outcome of vision after laser eye surgery and can only be seen through an eye examination. Most patients notice improved vision within a few days after LASIK laser eye surgery.

LASIK laser eye surgery is can cause a loss of "best" vision with or without glasses at 1 year after surgery. Night vision treatment has become possible thanks to advances in laser eye surgery. LASIK refractive eye surgery provides vision correction by reshaping the cornea and changing its focusing power through the use of a laser. Improving vision without laser eye surgery. Accuvision provides laser eye surgery, laser vision correction and laser ... This includes eye mapping, vision testing and medications related to the laser surgery. LASIK laser eye surgery patients often have good vision by the day after surgery. LASIK, or laser in-situ keratomileusis, is the most widely performed laser eye surgery for treating a wide range of common vision errors. Most reputable centers for eye laser surgery note that 20/20 vision from laser-corrected surgery may not be like 20/20 vision with corrective lenses.

The type of laser that is used in laser eye surgery is the Excimer laser. It is also the most expensive type of laser eye surgery. Finally, they answer some questions about laser eye surgery and decide if this type of operation is something they would consider for themselves. This type of corrective laser eye surgery is used to treat patients with open-angle glaucoma. This type of laser eye surgery is used to treat patients who have failed to respond to other types of surgery. However, if the eye disease manifests itself, there is one type of laser eye surgery that can be used: laser photocoagulation.

This guide provides an in-depth understanding of the laser eye surgery procedure, what can be expected, and possible complications. All in all, laser eye surgery is a potent procedure to correct a variety of refractive errors thereby enhancing a patient%u2019s visual acuity.

Clinicians wishing to undertake laser eye surgery should ensure that patients understand the benefits and potential risks of the procedure. Lasik, or laser eye surgery, is a surgical procedure designed to reduce dependency on glasses and contact lenses. The Wavefront laser procedure is carried out using computer aided equipment and doctors have reported improved eyesight results from Wavefront over traditional LASIK surgery.

With an exact map of the eye, they could precisely plan laser correction surgery, or create customized contact lenses, Olivier said. Bausch Lomb spokesperson Holly Houston said that the company is considering applications for both customized laser eye surgery and customized contact lenses. Around 100,000 people, tired of wearing glasses or contact lenses, undergo corrective laser eye surgery in the UK every year. Many people who have always worn glasses or contact lenses are now contemplating whether or not to have laser eye surgery. For some people, laser eye surgery means freedom from glasses and contact lenses.

Those considering laser eye surgery are often advised to have a full eye examination with an experienced surgeon. finding a LASIK surgeon LASIK LASIK has been the most widely performed and accepted form of laser eye surgery since it completed U.S. To gain the information you need to make a decision about Laser Eye Surgery, please consult with a plastic surgeon. During laser eye surgery, a surgeon uses a device called an Excimer Laser to change the shape of a patient's cornea permanently. Finding a LASIK surgeon that you are confident about will be able to give you more information about laser eye surgery.

Doctors often recommend laser surgery before filtering microsurgery, unless the eye pressure is very high or the optic nerve is badly damaged. Medication following laser surgery In most cases, medications are still necessary to control and maintain eye pressure. Long-term benefits of glaucoma laser surgery Glaucoma laser surgeries help to lower the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye. When laser surgery does not successfully lower eye pressure, or the pressure begins to rise again, the doctor may recommend filtering microsurgery.

have always been at the forefront of laser eye surgery earning an enviable reputation as THE clinic to ... I'm hoping to get a referral for the laser eye surgery center affiliated w/my eye doctor's clinic. Get your laser eye surgery done at a clinic that treats all kind of eye conditions not specialising in laser eye surgery. Lexum, which first performed laser eye surgery in 1993, performed 2,703 laser eye operations last year, according to clinic records. The clinic specializes in eye surgery, in particular laser eye surgery.

So you've checked it out, and you've found out that you are a viable candidate for laser eye surgery. Not everyone is a candidate for laser eye surgery. If you can prove that you have a stable prescription, you're a good candidate for laser eye surgery. Initial readings are taken to determine whether or not they are a candidate for laser eye surgery.

http://www.laser-vision.info/laser-eye-surgery/

About the Author:

Wirat Muenpan is The Webmaster of The Types Vision Problems Can Corrected By Laser
Eye Surgery - Quickly and Easily! http://www.laser-vision.info/laser-eye-surgery/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Types Vision Problems Can Corrected By Laser Eye Surgery