The everyday hassle of putting contacts in or bringing your glasses everywhere you go can get tedious. If you want nothing more to do with either of those things, LASIK surgery might be the alternative you have been looking for.
LASIK eye surgery is a procedure in which a surgeon uses an excimer laser to reshape your cornea. That may sound scary, but the reality is that it’s a common procedure. Most patients see results immediately after surgery and their vision continues to improve over the course of the following year.
You’ll be able to go back to work two or three days after surgery. To help the eyes heal, antibiotic and steroid drops are commonly used for about a week. Some side effects can include eye sensitivity, dry eyes, and night haloes for several months. If you experience any of these, please consult your doctor immediately.
Depending on the surgeon, and the location of the surgery prices will vary. On average LASIK eye surgery costs around $4,000 ($2,000 per eye). Depending on your insurance company LASIK eye surgery may be covered, but typically it is considered a voluntary procedure and is not covered by insurance.
LASIK eye surgery is becoming very common. The improvements in technology as well as the surgeon’s expertise has increased the safety of the procedure tremendously since it first came about.
In order to be a candidate for LASIK you will need to meet a few medical requirements. Patients must have strong tear production as well as thick corneas to undergo LASIK surgery. Some providers give free consultations, which take about an hour. If patients are not ideal candidates for surgery another alternative is PRK, which provides similar results.
PRK is a type of laser eye surgery that was used before LASIK. Both surgeries have the same overall effect in that they both change the shape of the cornea to correct vision problems. The major difference between the two procedures is the recovery time. PRK takes longer than LASIK because the outer layer of the cornea takes longer to heal, putting the patient in more discomfort.
Possible Lasik Complications
Under corrections – This is more common in patients that are nearsighted. It occurs when the laser does not remove enough tissue from the eye creating unclear vision for the patient.- Vision returning to pre-surgery vision – Sometimes patients vision quality will return to the vision level they had before surgery. This typically happens over many years, and possibly if the patient has hormonal imbalances or pregnancy.
- Astigmatism – Blurred vision due to uneven tissue removal. This may require additional surgery.
- Flap complications – When the flap from the front of the eye is removed or folded during surgery it can cause infection, inflammation, and excess tears. If patients are unhappy with their results after surgery, the procedure can be performed again. This is very rare and not always possible as the patient must have the appropriate amount of cornea thickness to ensure the procedure can be performed safely.
If you are healthy, lead an active lifestyle and prefer not to wear glasses or contacts, you can always make an appointment for a consultation to see if you are an ideal candidate for the procedure. LASIK may not be right for you, but you won’t know until you talk to your doctor!
written by
