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The entire lasik surgery takes about 30
minutes. The procedure is relatively simple and fast. The patient will
be lying on her back in the laser system room. The laser system is a machine with a computer screen and a
microscope attached to it. Vision problems like shortsightedness,
farsightedness or astigmatism have the same cause - your cornea is not a perfect shape.
Lasik surgery will try to reshape (polish) your cornea so the light
going through it focuses better on your retina.
Since you have to remain
conscious and be able to look directly at the laser throughout the surgery,
the surgeon can only use anesthetic drops for your eyes to get rid of the
pain. You just feel
some pressure and a little discomfort. During the
entire procedure you are able to see, although your vision might blur or flicker for a few
moments.
There are 6 steps in lasik surgery :
1. First of all the surgeon will drop a few numbing drops into your eye and
clean the area around it. Then your eyelids will be propped open.
2. Before the laser can start its work, the surgeon will need to cut a flap in
your cornea. This could be done with either a laser or with microkeratome - a
special cutting instrument. It might sound scary, but don't worry: you won't
feel the cutting.
3. After that, the laser will be positioned over your eye and you will have to
look directly at it for about 60 seconds. The reshaping has not started yet,
but your eye needs to get used to being focused on the light. When your eye is
in the perfect position, the laser will start its work. The laser is
controlled by a computer, which is preprogrammed by the surgeon to remove a
specific amount of corneal tissue.
4. After your cornea is reshaped, the flap is put back on it place.
5. Stitches won't be used to keep the flap in place; instead, doctors use a
special protective shield to hold it. The shield will protect your eye from
being touched accidentally.
6. That's it! Usually you can go home straight after the procedure, but you
will have to organize a lift for yourself because you might feel a bit dizzy
and your vision will be blurred, at first; obviously you shouldn't drive,
under these conditions. The improvement in vision is usually noticable the
same day, or by the following morning, at the latest.
Straight after lasik surgery you might feel some discomfort, like there is
something in your eye. The most difficult thing is to resist the urge to rub
your eyes, but you mustn't touch them until the flap is healed. There are also
several restrictions, after the surgery. You shouldn't use any eye make-up for
two weeks, play any sports for four weeks, or swim or take a hot bath for two
months. Also you will have to come in for a follow up visit within 48 hours
after the surgery, plus a few more visits during the following six months. There are a few things you
may
want to take into consideration before taking lasik eye surgery :
*Does your job prohibit refractive
surgery - any impact on your career?
*Can you really afford this high cost procedure?
*Do you have an autoimmune disease or other
major illness - a chronic illness that might slow or alter healing?
*Do you have or have you ever had any difficulties
with your eyes except needing glasses or contact lenses?
*Do you take steroids or other drugs that might
prevent healing?
*Are your eyes in a stable condition - has your prescription altered in the
last year?
*Do you use glasses/contacts only some of
the time? Do you need an exceptionally strong prescription?
*Do you have an unusual pupil size - are your pupils extra large in dim
circumstances?
*Do you have thin corneas - abnormal cornea thickness?
*Do you have dry eyes or is your tear gland working properly?
*Are you willing and able to have extra
surgery to get the desired result?
*You may still need reading glasses - do you have presbyopia?
*Do you realize that long-term results are not known?
*Do you know some patients may lose
some vision or experience blindness?
*Do you know that if you have dry eyes they could become worse, or
if you don't have dry eyes before you could develop chronic dry eyes as a
result of surgery?
*Do you know you could develop various visual symptoms like glare, halos,
starbursts, etc. and that night driving may be difficult?
*Do you know your vision could be severely reduced in
dim light circumstances?
*Do you know the additional risks of having both eyes
treated at the same time?
*Are you aware of the laser
being used for your procedure?
*How many eyes has your doctor performed lasik surgery on with the same laser?
*Does your doctor use a FDA-approved laser
for the procedure you need?
*Is your doctor keen to spend the
time to answer all your concerns?
*Does your doctor encourage follow-up
and management of you as a patient?
*Your pre-op and post-op care may be provided by a doctor other than the surgeon.
Do you feel you know your doctor and are
comfortable with an equal exchange of information?
*Can you go for an extended
period of time not wearing contact lenses?
*Have you arranged not to drive or work after the exam?
*Has your doctor given you an
informed consent form to take home and answered all your queries?
*Can you go 24-36 hours without makeup prior to
surgery?
*Have you arranged for someone to drive you home after surgery?
*Can you take time off to take it easy for
a couple of days if necessary?
*Do you know you will not see clearly
probably for a few days?
*Has your doctor made you feel
comfortable with the actual steps of the procedure?
*Are you willing and able to put drops
in your eyes at regular intervals?
*Do you know you need to protect the eye
for a period of time after surgery to avoid injury?
*Do you know how much pain to expect?
*Do you recognize what problems could occur and when
to seek medical intervention?
*Are you aware that final
results could take a long time?
*If you don't
get the desired outcome, do you know not to have an enhancement until the
prescription stops changing?
This may all sound very daunting but the vast majority of people who take lasik
eye surgery have a very good result. Take your time to prepare
properly, you will also increase your chances of getting a good result.
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