Is Lasik Surgery Right For You?

Lasik vision correction is not for everyone. Therefore, you must have the right Lasik information before opting for this surgery.

If you are:

• Below 18 years of age
• Pregnant
• Taking prescription medicines
• Diabetic
• Suffering from any other health complications like glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis, herpes infection of the eye or lupus
• Averse to taking risks

If your answer is yes to any one of these, then Lasik surgery is not the right option for you. If you answered no, and suffer from refractive errors such as near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism, then continue reading for other Lasik information and the cost of Lasik eye surgery.

Before you undergo Lasik surgery, you will be asked to stop wearing contact lenses, make-up, lotion and perfume so that nothing interferes with the laser eye surgery. You will be given a mild sedative along with anesthetic eye drops during the operation. You will be awake during the operation. Once the operation is over, your vision may be slightly blurred and you may experience some discomfort. However, this will change over the next few days. As a precaution, you must be sure not to go near a hot tub or swimming pool for at least two weeks after undergoing a Lasik vision correction.

What Are The Complications Of Lasik Eye Surgery?

Like any surgery, Lasik surgery also has certain complications. The most common ones would be:

• Dry eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Ghosts or Double vision
• Blurry vision
• Discomfort
• Corneal scarring or infection
• Overcorrection or under correction

Yet, Lasik vision correction is an FDA approved safe way of permanently improving your eyesight.

What is the Cost of Lasik Eye Surgery?

The cost of Lasik eye surgery varies considerably, depending on the condition of your eyes, the centre and the surgeon. The cost of pre-surgical investigations and post-surgical treatment can increase the overall costs. The cost of laser eye correction surgery is quoted in terms of per eye. It can cost anything between $500 and $3000 per eye. Prices have been increasing due to improved technological equipment being used for surgery.

Get adequate Lasik information before settling for a surgeon and a centre. After all, your eyes are at stake.

Laser eye surgery has been used increasingly over the last decade for correction of certain eye defects. It has caught the fancy of people, but it affects different people differently. Before deciding to go for laser eye surgery, you should consider all aspects of it, both positive and negative.

Laser Eye Surgery and You

Laser eye surgery corrects vision problems, such as Myopia (nearsightedness), where you can see things that are near, but not objects that are far; Hyperopia (farsightedness), where you see objects that are far, but not those that are near; and Astigmatism, where irregularities in the cornea distort images on the retina of the eye. The laser surgery procedure negates the need for, or reduces the dependency on, glasses and contact lenses to correct vision.

There are two basic types of laser eye surgeries – LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis), and PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). People are increasingly opting for LASIK as it is less painful and has a short recovery time. There is a third type of laser eye surgery – LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis), which combines the positives of both LASIK and PRK. Unlike LASIK and PRK, there is no cutting of the eye, but an epitheal flap is created by a 20% alcohol solution.

Laser eye surgery cures your eye by improving your Myopia, Hyperopia, or Astigmatism. In some cases, it may not bring back your 20/20 vision, but it certainly reduces your dependency on glasses and contact lenses in most cases. Unfortunately, laser eye surgery can affect some people adversely too.

Laser eye surgery is contra-indicated for people suffering from cataracts, arthritis, diabetes, glaucoma, and lupus, and pregnant women. Else, it can cause permanent damage to your vision. Laser eye surgery can cause double vision, halo, glare, it can affect your nighttime vision, cause permanant blurry vision and diminished contrast.

Dry eye is another outcome of laser eye surgery. If you already are suffering from dry eyes, surgery will further aggravate the condition. Your eyes will no longer produce tears.

It is always advisable to consult your ophthalmologist to find out how laser eye surgery will affect your eyes.

This computerized procedure increases the accuracy 100 times more than the hand held blades of the past. It also has a better success rate with four times as many people achieving 20/20 vision after surgery. The 100% blade free method is preferred to the old fashion way of doing the surgery. Intralase also reduces the chance of scarring of the cornea which can impair vision.

The invention of Intralase has greatly reduced complications caused by LASIK surgery. The technique also helps patients recover faster after LASIK surgery. With the old way of doing things, 20% of patients experienced difficulties of some kind post surgery. The only major complication of this procedure is the sensitivity to light after surgery.

This sensitivity is called photophobia. However this only happens in 1 % of patients. Photophobia, according to most doctors, is only temporary and can be treated with steroid eye drops for a few weeks.

How Intralase Works

A surgeon uses a computer to guide the laser over your eye. The computer guided laser makes three ?bubble like? incisions in the middle layer of your cornea. The resulting flap is made at a specific depth and location that best suits your corrective needs as determined by your doctor. The doctor then folds back this flap to reshape your cornea to correct your vision and astigmatism if it exists.

The invention of Intralase has also brought back potential patients who chose not to undergo lasik in the past due to the high risks involved. Intralase is safer and more accurate than they lasik of the past. It is because of this that so many people have lost their phobias and have undergone the procedure. Lasik with Intralase now has minimal complications and higher success rates. That has made it more appealing to people today. The safety and accuracy is well worth the extra money to most people. If you are considering lasik, Intralase should be considered as well. It could mean the difference between seeing 20/20 again and never seeing again. The choice is yours. Be sure to make an educated decision. Learning all you can is the key to making the right choice.

With the innovation of Intralase, patients who were previously not able to have LASIK eye surgery may now be able to throw their glasses away forever. It has a wider range than the old hand held blade therefore making more people eligible for surgery. Nevertheless, you should consult your doctor to discuss whether LASIK is right for you.

There are many sources in the Internet you can research for. You can visit our partner sites here to find more information on LASIK surgery.

You are suggested to consult with an optometrist that specializes in LASIK surgery. The doctor will conduct a number of tests to determine if you are a good candidate for the surgery. Generally, laser eye surgery corrects vision problems, such as Myopia (nearsightedness), where you can see things that are near, but not objects that are far; Hyperopia (farsightedness), where you see objects that are far, but not those that are near; and Astigmatism, where irregularities in the cornea distort images on the retina of the eye.

As part of the tests, the doctor will examine your eye health history. A few things may be taken into consideration, such as whether you have had a change in your eyewear prescription over the last year or so. If the answer is yes, you may not be able to undertake lasik surgery due to the fact that your eyes need to be stable for a period at least one year. Other example is whether you have a history of particular diseases, such as glaucoma, herpes, eye injuries or thin corneas. If this is the case then the doctor possibly would not let you take lasik surgery.

After you pass the eye examination you may be given psychological counselling to prepare you prior to the surgery. An important thing to remember here is to let yourself relax and remain positive about the outcome.

During the actual surgery, you will be seated in a reclined position. The doctor will give you a numbing solution in the eye that is being operated on. A microscope will be aimed right at the eye, which is made constantly open using a special speculum.

The doctor will insert a ring to your eye with hard pressure to create a suction effect on the cornea. He will then use a knife to cut the part of the cornea that requires the reshaping. This procedure will cause a blurry vision to your eye.

After the cornea has been cut the ring is removed, at this point, you will be able to see, although this will come and go during the rest of the LASIK surgery. There are two part of the operation where the laser is introduced, two actually. The first laser is for your eye to focus on; the second is the working laser.

The entire operation is made possible by the use of a smart computer. The computer connects to the machine with the microscope. This computer controls the amount of strength that is available in the laser. Prior to the operation, the surgeon will have programmed how much tissue needs to be removed from the cornea, based on the tests in the first visit. The computer then, stops the laser when the exact amount of tissue has been removed.

Your surgery is practically complete. There are a number of things you should apply after the surgery. Even though you can technically come back to normal daily life after a couple of days, you should be aware of some restrictions to protect your eye over some period of time.

Depending on the condition of an individual, laser eye surgery benefits certain people more as compared to others. This is so, as many people do not meet the medical criteria required. Laser eye surgery is not for the blind. Neither is it for those whose vision problems are related to the brain and not the cornea. Laser eye surgery is for the people who have a vision problem purely related to the cornea or the lens of the eye.

Laser Eye Surgery – Who Should Do It?

You are eligible for laser eye surgery once your eyeball has stopped growing. For this reason only, young people cannot go through the procedure, as laser eye surgery cannot take care of the future growth of the eyeballs. Every single person’s eye condition is distinctive. If your pupil is very large, the laser eye surgery is of no use as the laser will not be able to reach all the places in the pupil. In case, you wish to correct your condition of myopia, the laser eye surgery procedure will be of no use if your myopia has reached a severe, or extreme stage. The procedure does not work if you have extreme astigmatism.

Indications, and the conditions to the contrary, can only be ascertained by pre testing. There are other things to check out, even if your eyes are fine for the procedure. Those are:

Physically, you should be in good health.
Your eyes should be in good health too, no pus or random blood leakage.
You should not have diabetes or other healing disorders.
You should not have undergone a previous major eye surgery. This could cause unpredictable healing.

There are two major types of laser eye surgeries that are more popular. They are the Laser In-situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) and Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK). LASIK is the more popular of the two. You need to have a stable prescription for glasses or contact lenses, for at least two years, if you want to undergo laser eye surgery.

There is a wide variety of equipments used, with varying costs, for testing and surgery. Varying technologies and equipments are required for measuring corneal thickness, corneal topography, eye tracking, tear film analysis, and all this is reflected in the cost towards the surgery.

The cost of LASIK surgery includes a variety of costs, including:

Lease and maintenance of all devices used in the procedure, such as Microkeratome and corneal ring segments, etc.
A royalty fee of around AUD$100 to AUD$150 to the manufacturer of the excimer laser. This covers the cost of developing the equipment.
In case of the Custom LASIK procedure, a royalty of about AUD$150 to AUD$250 to be paid to the laser manufacturer.
Cost covering Microkeratome blades, medications, and other surgical items, such as gowns, gloves and masks, etc to keep the operation sterile.
Overhead, such as salaries of the surgical and office staff, the surgery center, rent, office equipment, office administration, etc.
Costs to cover advertising, insurance, fees paid to other eye specialists assisting in the surgery, etc.

Average Cost of LASIK Surgery – How it is Charged

As mentioned earlier, the cost of LASIK surgery depends upon various factors, and is generally quoted, per eye basis. The price quoted is always indicative and will finally depend on the type of pre-operative testing, the procedures to be followed, and the type of correction and post-operative follow up. Although many may quote a figure of AUD$600 per eye approximately, the average cost is rarely less than AUD$1,000 per eye.

Newer surgical procedures and the advent of newer technologies are the main causes of the rising average cost of LASIK surgery. LASIK with IntraLase is more expensive than LASIK with Microkeratome. The LASIK flap is created by a laser in the IntraLase procedure, whereas in the Microkeratome procedure, the surgeon uses a microkeratome blade to carry out the procedure. This raises the average cost of LASIK surgery by about AUD$400.

Taking into account all the overheads, and the costs, rents, etc of the equipment, and the procedure itself, the average cost of LASIK surgery is around AUD$1500 to AUD$2500 per eye. Before decide on surgery, discuss the cost of LASIK surgery with the doctor.

Myopia – a condition where people can see things near to them clearly, but not objects far away.
Hyperopia – a condition where people can see things far away clearly, but not objects nearer to them and
Astigmatism – a condition that distorts the image on the retina, caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens,

can have their refractive errors corrected through laser eye surgery. Allowing the highest degree of precision, laser eye surgery is the most technologically advanced procedure from among the several different surgical techniques that are available to correct refractive errors.

Laser Eye Surgery – The Types and How They Work

Laser eye surgeries have been performed on millions of people all over the world since its introduction in the last decade. The main types of laser eye surgeries are:

LASIK Eye Surgery: Laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis, or LASIK is the most common of all the laser vision correction procedures. A precise instrument is used to create a flap of tissue on the surface of the cornea. The laser smooths the inner surface. Each laser pulse removes corneal tissue about 1/500th of the thickness of the human hair. Although the procedure on both the eyes may take only between 5 to 15 minutes, it normally takes around 3 to 6 months for the vision to stabilize.
Custom LASIK Eye Surgery (Wavefront): A technology used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in high powered telescopes, the wavefront analyzer is now used for medical purposes. Otherwise, the traditional LASIK surgery and the Custom LASIK surgery is the same. The wavefront analyzer maps your vision 25 times more precise than any other available instrument. This premium procedure uses the most sophisticated technology in laser eye surgery.
Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK): This procedure, just like LASIK, corrects myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Because of certain procedures involved, PRK patients require more time to heal, and need to take medication to avoid pain for a few days.
Laser Epithetal Keratomileusis (LASEK): This procedure is done on people whose cornea is too thin. The surgeon creates the flap in the outermost layer of the cornea, the epithelium. The LASEK procedure has the combined advantages of both, the LASIK and the PRK procedures.

There can be vision problems that are a combination of Myopia and Astigmatism, as well as a combination of Hyperopia and Astigmatism.

The excimer laser has been accepted as the most accurate of devices in eye surgery, where a pulse of laser can shave off 0.25 microns of tissue from your cornea. (1 micron = 0.00004 of an inch).

Vision Correction through LASIK Eye Surgery

The cornea in the human eye functions just as the lens does in a camera. It helps focus light on the retina of the eye to create an image. Over time, with imperfections developing in the cornea, the image formed on the retina may not be very clear. We know these imperfections – Refractive Errors – more commonly as Myopia, Hyperopia, and Astigmatism. Myopia, or nearsightedness, occur when we have problems seeing far or distant objects. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, occurs when we have difficulties seeing objects that are near. In the case of Astigmatism, the imperfections in the cornea distort the image on the retina.

There can be vision problems that are a combination of Myopia and Astigmatism, as well as a combination of Hyperopia and Astigmatism.

Benefits of LASIK – What is LASIK Used For

With the popularity of the laser eye surgery procedure, many people now understand the benefits of LASIK, and what is LASIK used for. Simply put, LASIK is used to correct wide ranges of imperfections in the cornea. This precise and controlled surgical procedure corrects the imperfections of the cornea by reshaping it. The basic benefits of LASIK are the negation of the need to use glasses and contact lenses.

The other benefits of LASIK are that the complete surgical procedure is painless, there is no pain after then procedure, and you normally regain good vision almost immediately. We generally make use of glasses or contact lenses to compensate for the imperfections in our eyes. LASIK does exactly that, but through a process known as refractive surgery. In involves the use of a special laser to remove a thin wafer-like tissue of the cornea to change and improve its focusing power.

About 90 percent of the people with low to moderate myopia can achieve a 20/40 vision after going through the LASIK eye surgery procedure.