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What is LASIK surgery?
If you have vision problems and wear contacts or glasses, you might be wondering if LASIK surgery could be right for you. LASIK can be a miracle for some, giving clear vision and the freedom from corrective lenses. However, it’s not for everyone and certain conditions can’t be corrected with LASIK. How can you determine if LASIK is right for you?
LASIK, an elective correction of vision surgery, is very effective and statistically very secure. It has successfully corrected vision problems like presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism in millions. The procedure takes only minutes and is usually very fast. LASIK can improve the quality of life for people who had previously relied on contact lenses and glasses. However, LASIK can’t fix every type of vision problem.
Laser eye surgery (LASIK) is used to correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Images are usually focused on the retina at the back of your eye. Blurred vision can result from nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. LASIK corrects refractive errors in the cornea so that light can focus on the retina directly. Clear vision is possible for many patients. You can enjoy a game of football from the stands or engage in fun activities at home with clear vision.
Nearsighted
Blurry distance vision is possible if you are nearsighted. The blurry distance vision is caused by the fact that the eye might be longer than normal or have a steeper cornea. This causes light to pass through the cornea and lens, focusing on the retina instead of directly on it.
Nearsightedness, also called myopia, is when you can see close but not far. Nearsightedness has been increasing in prevalence over the past few decades. Nearsightedness can be corrected with glasses or contacts that have a minus (-) number for their prescriptions.
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, can cause problems with distance vision. However, you may be able see well up close if you don’t have corrective lenses. Nearsightedness can be caused by a refractive error in which light is focused on the retina instead of in front.
Nearsightedness can be corrected by laser vision surgery. This involves flattening the cornea to allow light to focus on the retina. To remove corneal cells, a computer-guided Excimer Laser emits cool, ultraviolet light. Myopia is the most common vision problem that LASIK can treat. A large percentage of laser refractive treatments are performed on myopic patients. Most of those chose LASIK. Although most LASIK patients want to correct nearsightedness, it is often used to treat other refractive issues.
Farsighted
Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, is when you can see far but cannot see close. Hyperopia affects 25% of the world’s population. Your prescription will be marked with a (+) if you are farsighted. Farsightedness can be corrected with LASIK or PRK. Without corrective lenses, you may have trouble seeing close up, but can see faraway objects more clearly. Farsighted people will experience blurry vision up close. The blurry vision is caused by the fact that the cornea might be flatter or shorter than the normal eye. This causes light to pass through the cornea, causing it to focus behind the retina and the lens.
This prevents light from reaching the retina. Laser vision correction for farsightedness involves steepening the cornea to allow light to focus on the retina correctly. To remove corneal cells, a computer-guided Excimer Laser emits cool, ultraviolet light. LASIK has been less effective in treating hyperopia than it was for myopia. Farsighted patients were more likely to experience glare or halos after the procedure. A study published in Clinical Ophthalmology’s May 2010 issue showed that laser treatment can reduce minor complications in hyperopic patients. These results are indicative of ongoing research to improve LASIK’s effectiveness in correcting a wide range of refractive issues.
Myopia can cause vision changes throughout your teens, and even into adulthood. This could lead to periodic adjustments in your prescription for glasses or contact lenses. Before considering LASIK eye surgery, you should be at least 18 years old.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism can cause blurry vision at all distances. The cornea, or natural lens, is more like a soccer ball than a basketball. This causes light to be distorted.
Astigmatism can cause blurry vision, shadowing or distortion. Astigmatism refers to a refractive error in which light focuses on multiple points on the retina instead of one. The light entering your eyes will bend unevenly if your cornea’s surface is more football-like than baseball-shaped. This causes sharp images in certain areas and blurry images in other parts of your field of view. Your corneal warping determines the type of astigmatism.
Astigmatism can also be caused by hyperopia or myopia. The LASIK treatment for astigmatism involves smoothing the cornea at the exact points of astigmatism. This allows light to focus on the retina correctly.
Aging Eyes
Presbyopia (or “aging eyes”) is a common condition in older adults. The flexibility of your lenses gradually decreases as you get older. Around age 45-50, this becomes apparent with the loss of ability to focus on objects nearby. Presbyopia, unlike other refractive errors caused by structural problems in your focusing mechanism is caused when your eyes lose the ability to focus. Presbyopia can lead to significant vision problems, such as reading or computer blurred vision.
Cataracts
Cataracts can cause vision problems, especially in those over 65. Cataracts can be caused by a disease of your lens and LASIK won’t correct them. A cataract specialist should examine you if you have one. LASIK is an option if vision correction is required following cataract surgery.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia occurs later in life. It is not a refractive problem. Instead, it is an eye condition that causes the lens to become more rigid and makes it harder to focus on objects close up. Presbyopia is a condition that affects most people over 40. You will need reading glasses in order to read menus, text messages and bottle labels.
Presbyopia can’t be corrected with traditional LASIK, but monovision LASIK might be an option. One eye will be corrected for distance vision, while the other eye will be slightly nearsighted to improve close-up vision. Most LASIK eye centers can perform KAMRA inlay procedures simultaneously with LASIK – one on each eye – to help achieve clear vision from all distances.
LASIK may not require any corrective lenses. It’s not for everyone. Find out if you are a good candidate for the job and what you should consider when making your final decision.
If you are tired of wearing contact lenses or eyeglasses, LASIK surgery may be right for you.
Regardless of the original problem, more than 95 percent of patients who have undergone LASIK are happy with their results. Millions of people have had LASIK and the U.S. military has adopted the procedure for their aviators. To determine if LASIK may be a good choice for you, you should schedule a consultation with a LASIK physician.
Many people don’t know much about LASIK and eye surgeons. Talking to a trusted eye doctor is a good place to start when looking for an eye surgeon. Ask family and friends who have undergone successful LASIK.
LASIK surgery can correct many common vision problems. Schedule your Lasik Nashville evaluation to find out if this is the right procedure for you.
