Laser Eye Surgery

Fortunately we now have an alternative to vision correction other than glasses or contact lenses by deciding to undergo laser eye surgery. Like every surgery there are risks. Protecting our eyes is a major concern for most of us. When deciding on the advisability of corrective eye surgery we devote a lot of time to examining the good and bad effects that it will have on us personally.

Statistically, many more people experience good results from laser eye surgery than bad. They no longer need to wear glasses or contacts full time. Some people do not need them part time, to achieve good vision on fine tasks. Good results include fast vision correction with a minimum of discomfort. The vision correction is permanent with some of the laser eye surgery procedures, but not all. That could be both a good and a bad result. As laser eye surgery developments occur, better correction of vision problems is possible. One of the latest is Wavefront-guided where the cornea can be fine tuned, with less removed at the edges and more in the center, for example, to minimize blurring. Preparation for laser eye surgery is complex and that is good. The many measurements taken prior to surgery help the surgeon to determine exactly where correction is needed.

After laser eye surgery all patients must adhere to a strict schedule of post operative care to minimize the possibility of adverse occurrences. Most usually, the patient feels low level itchiness or burning in the eyes the first day. They may also experience dry eyes. All of these are treated with eye drops. As a precaution, an antibiotic eye drop is also administered for the first few days after surgery. Reactions (adverse) to any of the eye drops are possible, as are allergic reactions. The feeling of a foreign body in the eye is normal, but rubbing or even touching the eye is strictly forbidden.

Compared with other surgical procedures, these after affects are minor and usually do resolve in less than a week. Some longer lasting effects may include a decrease in crispness of vision (blurring), problems with night vision (seeing halos, starbursts, etc), and incompletely corrected vision problems. Some of these after effects resolve themselves without intervention within a few months. The laser eye surgery can be repeated in many cases to further correct the vision problems.

Unfortunately, laser eye surgery is not a good option for patients who are diabetic, have rheumatoid arthritis or are experiencing a few other serious health conditions. Only a qualified ophthalmologist can determine if this method of vision correction is safe and appropriate.