10 Things You Should Know About LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK Eye Surgery is the new trend as far as vision correction technology goes, so let's read up on some interesting facts.

A LASIK procedure is a relatively new laser eye surgery or laser vision correction technique used to treat myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. This procedure has gained a lot of popularity in recent years due to the high patient satisfaction rates, which are usually between 92% and 98%.

1. Not everyone is eligible for LASIK eye surgery

A thorough eye examination is needed before undergoing any type of laser eye surgery. A qualified LASIK surgeon must determine if you are eligible for LASIK so your pre-operatory checkups are very important.

The operation’s outcome is just as important to you as it is to your LASIK surgeon. It’s in your best interest to test your eye conditions thoroughly before committing to a LASIK procedure. If your pupil is too large in diameter or your cornea is too thin, you might need a treatment other than LASIK. Here is a complete list of Lasik eye surgery clinics.

People ineligible for LASIK eye laser surgery:

• Under 21
• Pregnant
• Suffering from diabetes
• Have other eye problems such as cataracts or glaucoma
• Born with a thinner cornea or a larger diameter pupil

2. Only certain eye problems can be successfully treated with LASIK eye surgery

The shape of the cornea can cause certain refractive errors such as:

• Myopia or nearsightedness
• Hyperopia or farsightedness
• Astigmatism

Although you may be a suitable candidate for LASIK eye surgery, other eyesight problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, or presbyopia need to be treated through other special techniques.

3. LASIK eye surgery is not a suitable treatment for presbyopia

Presbyopia often gets confused with another type of sight problem, hyperopia. The effects of these conditions are pretty much the same, but the causes are totally different. While hyperopia is caused by irregularities of the cornea, presbyopia is just a simple natural response of the aging process.

Hyperopia is:

• A refractive error
• Caused by irregularities of the cornea
• Treatable through LASIK eye surgery

Presbyopia is:

• A natural response to aging
• Caused by the eye lens becoming stiffer
• Also caused by the eye muscles weakening
• Treatable through PresbyMAX – Find out more about presbyopia treatment

4. The laser used in LASIK eye surgery is the pinnacle of laser eye technology

LASIK is performed with an excimer laser – a beam of ultraviolet light with no possibility whatsoever of hurting or damaging your eyes. Lasers usually give off heat when applied on any surface but the excimer laser is designed to penetrate only to a microscopic depth of the cornea and to eliminate or vaporize small parts of it in order to correct vision.

The excimer laser is made up out of a combination of inert and reactive gasses – when they are stimulated through electricity they produce a molecule called a dimer – hence the name excimer: “excited” + “dimer”.

5. The LASIK Excimer laser is extraordinarily precise

The excimer laser produces an ultraviolet light beam that is 0.25 microns wide. Still not impressed? The light beam is just 0.5% of the width of a human hair – this makes the excimer laser incredibly precise.

Every LASIK eye surgery is performed by a technician trained specifically to operate the LASIK system and an eye surgeon. The LASIK system uses a microscope, computer and patient bed to perform the surgery with the help of the eye doctor.

A recent addition to the LASIK eye surgery is the Wavefront technology. This is also called a Custom LASIK because it can accurately diagnose your eyesight problems and customize the laser treatment accordingly.

The Wavefront system sends a special light beam into the eyes which is then reflected back with specific information about irregularities of the cornea and any refractive errors.

All information collected through Wavefront is then fed into the computer and a 3D map is created and then translated into a mathematical formula that the surgeon will use to guide the laser and correct any refractive errors.

7. LASIK is absolutely painless and it only takes a couple of minutes

You can feel alarmed at the idea of laser shining into your eyes or you may feel uncomfortable with someone touching your eyes but rest assured, LASIK is a painless procedure and before it is even begun, anesthetizing eye drops are applied to the region so you won’t feel a thing.

After the procedure is over you might feel your eyes itch but please refrain from touching your eyes. Most people don’t require pain medication after the surgery but if you feel like you need some, your eye doctor will be there for you.

8. Certain activities are not allowed in the recovery period

For about a week or two after the surgery, you should wear an eye shield while sleeping – this is done in order to prevent any pressure on your eyes during the recovery period. Please refrain from touching or rubbing your eyes.

• You may not wear makeup for around a week after surgery
• No contact sports for two or three weeks
• You can still bathe or shower, but swimming is not allowed in the recovery period

Wearing sunglasses is also recommended in the recovery period and staring directly into the sun or powerful light is strongly discouraged. All these requirements exist in order to guarantee the success of LASIK eye surgery.

9. There are no long-term side effects to LASIK eye surgery

The excimer laser is the brainchild of Russian physicist and Nobel Prize winner Nikolai Basov. Since being developed in 1970, the excimer laser quickly came to use in various fields, including eye surgery. The first patient treated with LASIK was in 1987 and to date, no long-term side effects of this procedure are known. It has been used for over 25 years.

10. LASIK does not guarantee perfect vision, it can only greatly improve it

While many people do achieve perfect vision after LASIK eye surgery, a good LASIK surgeon will not guarantee it. LASIK can correct only certain eye problems, so if you suffer from presbyopia due to old age, it cannot be treated
with LASIK, but with PresbyMAX.

 

Learn more about LASIK Eye Surgery in Turkey by comparing costs and reviewing the clinics and doctors.