The cornea of your eye is the film of tissue that covers your pupil. In a normal eye with no vision problems, it has a very specific shape that is even and rounded. In an individual that has near sightedness or far sightedness, the cornea is misshapen to some degree. By bowing out or changing shape in just a bit or a lot of area, the cornea distorts your vision, which leaves you with problems like not being able to see things that are far away or being unable to see things up close.

With the help of laser eye surgery, though, this can be changed. The doctor will remove part of the cornea from your eye on only three sides, creating a flap. From here, he will use a high powered laser to change the shape of the stroma, which is the tissue that lies under the cornea that's been removed. By shaving that to the desired level, he improves your vision. When the cornea lays back over the eye, it now lays there correctly, with the right curve which ultimately improves your vision.

The laser eye surgery procedure is one that should be carefully considered because there are some risks. But, if the procedure goes correctly, within some time after healing has been complete, your eyes can actually improve in vision. Some individuals gain excellent eye sight. Others improve. Talk to your doctor about the benefits that can come from your improvements.

Laser Eye Surgery: What Happens And Why is a post from: Eye Care

Average Eye Surgery Costs

Laser eye surgery cost has risen steadily during the past four years. From an average cost of $1500 in 2002, prices now hover around the $2000 mark and beyond. If you have noticed cheaper quotes, under $1000, then it would be wise to check the fine print before you sign on the dotted line. Only a small percentage of providers are offering these low cost prices and in most cases, there are hidden costs or factors involved.

Costs for some of the common eye surgery procedures have risen considerably in the last few years. Common procedures such as corneal inserts and PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) will set you back as much as $4000 and $2000 respectively depending on the circumstances.

What To Be Wary Of

Be wary of advertisements offering low cost eye surgery. Generally, this is a sales tactic to attract patients who then have to satisfy certain terms and conditions to qualify for the price on offer. If you answer one of these advertisements make sure you ask questions such as:
– What are the eligibility requirements to qualify for the price on offer? – Is there a fee involved for the consultation? – What sort of after care maintenance will be required and what will it cost?

It's a little like buying a car. You are attracted by the super low price being offered yet, when you go into the sales room, you discover there are other costs involved like stamp duty, dealer delivery, insurance etc. You get the picture. Just be aware of this because it will save you unnecessary stress when the final bill is presented to you after the procedure!

How To Choose A Surgeon

Choosing a surgeon takes a little skill as well. Again, asking a lot of questions will help you cover your bases. Remember, it's your eyes we're talking about here so there is little margin for error. Reputation counts for a lot in any field and it is no different with laser eye surgery.

During the consultation process, you'll get a feel for both the surgeon's integrity and that of his staff. Ask for references from former patients if possible. The consultation process itself should be thorough and at the end of it, you should have a complete understanding of the level of surgery required in your case. Not everyone is a good laser eye surgery candidate and this is the one thing you must get established. If you feel the consultation process was inadequate and rushed and your questions were unanswered, then it might be a good idea to look elsewhere.

Laser eye surgery cost is generally affordable for most people. Despite what appear to be high costs, being offered a payment plan that you can afford over an extended period of time and works for you and your surgeon is the ideal scenario. This should be another vote of confidence in your chosen surgeon who is willing to help make it work for you rather than being pressured with unsavoury sales tactics.

How To Make Laser Eye Surgery Cost Work For You is a post from: Eye Care

We start with the occurrence of under correction and overcorrection. Eyes are special and unique in nature and each person's eye will respond differently to laser eye treatment so it is possible that you may continue needing corrective lenses even after surgery for clarity in your vision and another procedure may be required to correct this deficiency. Regression occurs when patients find that the effects of the procedure are diminishing as in under correction and another surgery may be required.

Excessive corneal haze occurs as part of the healing process and generally it has a miniscule effect on the final result and clarity of vision obtained, though any excesses can interfere with normal vision which may require further laser treatment. There is a 1-in-a-1000 chance of infection and delayed healing of the cornea after having undergone laser eye treatment but lasting effects don't appear till within four years of the procedure.

Irregular removal of tissue and or existence of corneal haze may interfere with the best obtainable vision for patients who use lenses and the result may not be as good as before. It leads to a decrease in the best-corrected vision. The irregular healing of the corneal tissue flap or a distorted flap may cause some distortion in the cornea, and this could also mean a decrease in vision.

Severe dry eye syndrome occurs when the eye is not able to produce enough tears post surgery to keep the eyes wet and comfortable. While this does not cause discomfort it does affect the quality of vision to a slight extent because of intermittent blurring and then there is a possibility that this might be permanent and require further surgery or at the very least, an intensive course of treatment with eye drops.

The halo effect is best defined as an optical effect experienced when there are low lights. When the pupil opens, the patient will find another image slightly faded that is in the peripheral part of the cornea that was not treated and this can cause trouble while driving at night. Flap damage or loss happens when the tissue flap hinged to the central cornea comes unhinged. While the flap can be replaced there is a chance that this bit of tissue may get damaged or lost.

All in all, there are risks involved with laser eye surgery. So one will have to take an informed decision to go ahead with it, weighing all the pros and cons and knowing what to expect and how best to deal with it.

Considering Lasik Eye Surgery? Learn the Risks is a post from: Eye Care

It's amazing to think of how far laser eye surgery has come since it's beginning over 4 decades ago. Lasers can now accurately change the shape of the cornea to correct the focus and help you see more clearly.

LASIK eye surgery results can be amazing, but it is still surgery and there are risks involved and potential complications so you should take the time to learn all you can about LASIK before opting for the procedure. Even so, laser eye surgery has become more important year after year and with technological advancements there are now several types of LASIK that can be utilized to correct your vision. Many people feel that the potential benefits of laser vision correction far outweigh any possible complications.

As a patient you'll find that LASIK is not painful, but it can be uncomfortable and even frightening for some. This is because you are kept awake during the procedure and your eyes are held open artificially. You will need to continue to stare into the buzzing laser and this can frighten some patients.

In the past the initial flap in the cornea was created using a metal scapel, but that has changed as well with the introduction of IntraLase and now the entire eye surgery can be done just with lasers. This is a comfort to many who were really freaked out by the sight of the metal blade coming towards their eye. IntraLase is also much more precise that the older bladed cutting method, which helps to cut down on complications.

After creating a flap in the cornea the LASIK laser is used to reshape the cornea and improve the focus of the eye. It has been compared to adjusting the focus on your camera lens. Reshaping the cornea helps it to focus light properly and thus improves the vision, often dramatically.

It's best to consult with an eye surgery clinic or physician to discuss the laser eye surgery procedure further and see what your options are. They will be able to advise you if you qualify for LASIK and will be able to give you costs and financing options. Trust me, it's a great feeling on the day you no longer need to wear contacts or glasses.

Amazing Laser Eye Surgery is a post from: Eye Care

Speaking about eye surgery procedures, it goes without saying that all the necessary measures are taken to ensure an optimum result. The patient’s heart rhythm is monitored throughout the entire time, precautions are taken to maintain a sterile operating area and all the instruments are previously cleaned.

Given the modern advances in medicine, it’s no wonder that most eye surgery procedures are done with the laser. One of the many examples that could be given is represented by treating the rupture of the retina through laser eye surgery. There are many procedures recommended to patients who have been diagnosed with cataracts, an eye disease that involves the opacification of the natural lens of the eye. Usually, the patient’s lens is replaced with a new one, made of a highly resistant material.

When it comes to cataract eye surgery, the patient is commonly administered a local anesthetic and there is very little discomfort associated. There are no complications following this particular procedure and the patient’s vision is successfully restored, thanks to the newly introduced lens implant. Eye surgery might also be performed in patients who have been diagnosed with glaucoma, affecting the optic nerve. The procedure that doctors used to reduce the increased intraocular pressure is known as canaloplasty, based on the use of microcatheters. This type of eye surgery is considered minimally invasive and it is highly effective when it comes to treating intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma.

Refractive surgery has become an important part of modern eye medical interventions, encompassing a wide range of surgical techniques that correct refractive disorders. Whether we are talking about reshaping the cornea, treating hypermetropia (farsightedness) or correcting astigmatism, the equipment used is of the latest technology and always guarantees the expected results. Other advanced procedures refer to a corneal transplant (using the cornea from a donor, a procedure known as keratoplasty), repairing the retina after a complete detachment or sealing a tear using the laser photocoagulation technique.

The world is changing and daring procedures are being proposed as we speak. Doctors talk about making a prosthesis for the cornea out of a tooth, about freezing the retina in order to repair damaged tissue and they are constantly on the lookout for experimental procedures.

Eye surgery procedures is a post from: Eye Care

Although there are many ideal locations and surgeons that can provide some pretty complex procedures in Los Angeles, lasik eye surgery does require you to do a few things for yourself. For starters, you need to stop wearing your contact lenses at least a few days, preferably longer, before you talk with your doctor about lasik. Contact lenses can change the shape of your eyes which means that your doctor can not provide you with a clear diagnosis until they have come back from this shape.

If you wear hard contact lenses, you need to keep them out of your eyes at least four full weeks before having your evaluation. For those that have toric soft lenses or RGP contacts, at least three weeks is advisable. If you wear soft contact lenses, you still need to remove them and keep them out for at least two weeks prior to being screened. If you don't do this, your doctor can not get an accurate measurement and therefore can't do as successful of a procedure on you.

When you meet with your Los Angeles lasik professional, they will instruct you on the specifics for your case. Take a few minutes and ask about contact lens usage.

Los Angeles Lasik: Contact Lenses And Your Eyes is a post from: Eye Care

Laser eye surgery is not like other operations in that it is only performed on people with healthy eyes in order to cure eye diseases. There are different laser eye surgeries such as lasik, epi-lasik, wavefront lasik/epi-lasik, and femtosecond lasik or the new state of the art all laser lasik.

Lasik, Epi-lasik, and Wavefront Surgeries

Lasik is used in correcting a broad spectrum of prescriptions and is most suited for the correction of mild to severe short sight, mild and long sight as well as astigmatism where the patient would generally recover in a day's time. Epi-lasik is not as invasive as lasik and can be used to correct mild to moderate short sight as well as astigmatism.

Wavefront lasik/epi-lasik is a treatment that can be customized and is designed to correct unusually shaped eyes as well as cases of unsatisfactory results from using lasik or epi-lasik treatments and is greatly instrumental in improving night vision. When the patient is undergoing laser eye surgery the surgeon most often uses a device known as the Excimer Laser which helps to shape the patient's cornea forever.

In PRK, the surgeon utilizes a laser beam that is guided with the help of a computer to vaporize small amounts of tissue that is present on the surface of the cornea. Using PRK helps in removing the right amount of tissue and reforms the cornea to enable corrected vision and the healing process may last a week or so.

Laser eye surgery is usually performed by very experienced as well as highly trained specialists and the results vary from satisfactory to excellent. In many cases the patient finds his or her life vastly improved as a result of such treatment since they may not have to use prescription glasses or contact lenses after the surgery. However, the patient should have realistic expectations before the eye surgery is performed and for those who are above 40, they should know that it may still be necessary for them to use reading glasses, even after the surgery.

Laser Eye Surgery Provides Freedom from Glasses and Contacts is a post from: Eye Care

According to FDA reports, nearly 100% of LASIK patients have good results and no complications, but you need to be aware that there are things that can and do go wrong. Some problems include double or triple vision, light distortion so severe that patients can't drive at night, or eyes so dry that they have to wear goggles when going outside.

Some patients experience infections, inflammation of the eye, redness, blurriness or eye irritation. In many cases, LASIK eye surgery can eliminate your need for corrective lenses, but that's not always the result. Sometimes, LASIK will drastically reduce your dependence on corrective lenses, but you may still require corrective lenses for some activities, such as reading. It's best to think of LASIK as reducing your dependency upon corrective lenses - not necessarily as eliminating your need for them.

Diffuse lamellar keratitis is a post operative LASIK risk that happens when a foreign substance, such as a hair or speck of dirt gets trapped behind the corneal flap. If this happens to you, you may experience pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, along with the sensation that something is trapped in your eye. Rubbing will only intensify the problem and may lead to further complications, such as infection or tearing or dislodging of the corneal flap. Diffuse lamellar keratitis usually occurs as the result of the patient not exercising proper precautions during the healing period after LASIK eye surgery.

One of the most common complications of LASIK eye surgery is a slipped flap. The flap that was created during the LASIK procedure may become detached from the rest of the cornea. Most doctors recommend that you go home and sleep for several hours after completing the LASIK procedure in order to allow the cornea to start its healing process. That's good advice and can substantially reduce your chances of experiencing a slipped flap.

Even without LASIK eye surgery, it's expected that everyone's eyes will change slightly with the passage of time - it's just a natural part of life. After LASIK, your eyes will still follow their natural course of changing with time, so LASIK shouldn't necessarily be considered a permanent solution. For most people however, their vision will not change enough to require any additional treatments, especially when the original procedure was done to correct for poor distant vision.

The information provided here is not intended to scare you away from LASIK eye surgery, since it has been a blessing to a great many people. For many who have chosen LASIK, it has meant that they are no longer dependent on corrective lenses in order to have good vision. It's highly recommended that you talk with your doctor about LASIK and how any possible risks or side effects relate to your own personal circumstances.

Risks of Lasik Eye Surgery is a post from: Eye Care

The Lasik procedure is as simple as the following three easy steps.

1. The cornea is like a few layers of stacked paper. An instrument

called a microkeratome gently glides across the top two of these

layers creating a flap which has like a hinge.

2. The doctor then has access to the third layer or the stroma of your

eye. The Excimer Laser then alters the shape of the cornea by the effect it has on the stroma.

3. The flap is then repositioned back over the newly contoured stroma without the need for stitches as eye tissue binds together

very quickly and simply on its own.

After this simple process, you are then sent home to rest. You will feel a

little discomfort, rather like having an eye lash stuck in your eye for about 12 hours or so until the healing process is well under way.

On average, one in 5 people are not suitable for Lasik surgery and this

can only be determined by a professional. Those not deemed suitable for Lasik may be more suited to other types of surgery so it is important to be aware of your options.

One of the best parts about Lasik eye surgery is that by the next day, your vision will have improved to the point where you can at least drive a car. Many people report their eyesight having improved to 20/20 vision!

The end result hopefully of Lasik surgery is to return the cornea to as close to a normal shape as possible, and in doing so improve your vision. Although Lasik surgery appears to produce what seem to be miraculous cures, it is also possible that complications may be included in the end result.

For those in the forty plus bracket who decide to try Lasik surgery, they may discover that they still require eyeglasses for reading. If you are thinking about Lasik eye surgery, you would be well advised to do thorough research, gather all the facts and get a solid understanding of what you should expect before committing to the procedure.

Lasik Eye Surgery Exposed is a post from: Eye Care

Nowadays, most of these people are gaining 20/20 vision with the relatively new procedure of Lasik eye surgery. It was only a bit more than ten years ago that the FDA approved Summit Technology's excimer laser to be used to correct nearsightedness.

So what exactly is Lasik eye surgery? The acronym "Lasik" stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. Lasik actually combines two distinct vision techniques for correcting the eyesight.

First, a knife, called a microkeratome is used to cut a flap in the cornea. The cornea is the translucent front part of the eye that acts as a protection for the eye. It also acts as the lens of the eye and controls the entry of light into the eye. The way light passes through the eye determines how well we are able to see the outside world. Common eye defects such as near sightedness are caused by refraction errors, that is, errors in the way light passes through the cornea.

The second vision technique used in Lasik is a computer-controlled laser which is used to vaporize a portion of the stroma, one of the five layers of the cornea. The stroma is, by far, the largest part of the cornea. It is essential to controlling the refraction of light through the cornea.

Parts of the stroma are vaporized to flatten the cornea. The amount of stroma that needs to be vaporized depends on your degree of nearsighteness. Once this is done, the cornea flap is replaced to its original position.

The combination of these two techniques allow surgeons to precisely correct the refractive errors in the eye that prevent you from having 20/20 vision.

Even though millions of people every year opt for Lasik surgery as a way of completely eliminating their dependence on glasses, refractive surgery is not to be taken lightly. Eye surgery is not trivial.

You will need to find not just a clinic, but also a physician who is experienced in vision corrective surgery. In fact, finding the right physician to perform your Lasik surgery is the most important decision you will make. Remember, you are about to place your future vision in the hands of whichever specialist you choose.

This is an exciting time for medical discoveries. The rate of new discoveries in the medical world are taking place at a dizzying pace. New and improved methods of surgery techniques are discovered and implemented everyday. You will want to find a doctor who keeps abreast of the latest developments in refractive eye surgery techniques and who is an active participant in the operations themselves.

If you take the time to choose the right physician, one you feel comfortable with and who is able to explain to your satisfaction, both the benefits and the risks involved, you should have no problems with your Lasik surgery.

Lasik Eye Surgery – What you Should Know is a post from: Eye Care