It’s true that LASIK is one of the most prevalent types of eye surgery. However, a few people are either not comfortable with, or not suitable for surgery due to inadequate thickness of the corneal tissue. There are several alternatives to surgery, each possessing certain characteristics that make it more appropriate in a particular situation. The procedures may be different, but the key intent is to correct the vision. The following are a few of the major alternatives to LASIK surgery.

LASEK (Laser-Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomiluesis) is a recent addition to the refractive surgery catalog. As noted above, the density of the corneal tissue is inadequate in some patients, and hence, LASIK is not a possible option for them. In such a scenario, procedures like LASEK or PRK (Photo-Refractive Keratectomy) can be viable alternatives. These procedures produce the same results but require less tissue removal when compared with the LASIK procedure. That is, a thinner flap is cut in the corneal tissue.

Intraocular Lens Implant - In essence, this surgery is the same as cataract extraction with placement of a clear intraocular lens. The natural lens, the one having a refractive error, is extracted and replaced with a clear lens that provides clearer vision. This procedure is especially beneficial if the patient is suffering from hypermetropia (farsightedness) and that too with a high refractive error.

Spectacles or Contact Lenses - Glasses and contact lenses have been a popular choice for many years now. They are an affordable alternative to surgery. Spectacles or contact lenses are certainly a much safer proposition, since any sort of surgery has a potential for side effects and complications. There can be nothing as simple as wearing spectacles or contact lenses. With an elaborate series of new designs and makes, your spectacles can be strong fashion statement as well.

Don’t hastily jump on a conclusion. It is advised that you carefully examine all the above alternatives prior to going in for a surgery. Do your best to avoid any surgical treatment. If you suffer from a minor refractive error, one that can be easily corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses, there is no point going in for a LASIK surgery.

The popularity of LASIK surgery is soaring. It is considered to be a surgery with little or no risks associated with it. Therefore, people seem to make rash decisions when considering having the procedure done. To think that a surgery of any type, no matter how minor, does not have possible complications is at best naive, at worst it is complete stupidity. This is especially true of a surgery that is conducted on your eyes.

Another common complication that can arise from the LASIK surgery is the condition known as dry eye. This is when the eye does not produce enough tears to keep the eye moist. There are people that have this issue without ever having LASIK surgery; however, there is a very high incident rate among recent patients after the surgery. Most people do experience some relief from dry eye after about a month or so into the healing process. However, for most patients, the symptoms do not disappear entirely.

Talk to your surgeon about all of the risks that are associated with the LASIK surgery. You will need to weigh them against the potential gains in your self-esteem and even perhaps the future savings of not having to purchase glasses or contact lenses. Your doctor will be happy to talk to you about these potential problems and let you know how you can help to avoid having them happen to you.

There are a fair amount of people that complain of distorted vision as a result of the LASIK procedure being performed. These complications include seeing halos around objects, blurred vision, and an increased difficulty seeing in adverse conditions such as nighttime or foggy weather. This is because of the diminishing contrasts in colors in these types of situations.

The most obvious danger with any surgery that is being performed on your eyes is the loss of sight. This is also true with LASIK eye surgery, although it is not a very common consequence. A more common issue with this procedure is actually the partial loss of vision. This includes losing bands of sight on the reading chart, if this happens the use of glasses or contacts will not be able to correct the situation.

Although LASIK surgery is often performed with no problem, just like with any other surgery there are risks involved. LASIK is, for the most part, a safe procedure as long as you are working with an experienced doctor. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. The more times your doctor has performed this procedure the more likely you are to have a successful surgery and obtain the results that you and your doctor are looking, and hoping for.

A few years ago roughly five percent of LASIK patients experienced undesired outcomes from their LASIK procedure. Today, that number seems to be hovering around 1 percent and getting smaller all the time. Contributing to this decline in unfavorable results is new tools, new techniques, and more experienced doctors. The experience of the doctor is one of the most important variables in the success of your surgery. Doctors who have performed less than 200 procedures tend to have less favorable outcomes, almost 4 percent more of the time than those doctors who have performed over 200 surgeries. That being said, it is important that you take the time to find an experienced doctor who will take the time to make sure the surgery goes as well as it possibly can.

There are, unfortunately, several different complications/risks that can be a byproduct of an unsuccessful surgery. Some of the most common are; Haloing, starburst, double vision, ghosting, dry eye syndrome, and irregular astigmatism. These complications, although rare, are not always correctable after the fact, and can become life long problems for those that do experience them. It is also important to understand that many of these conditions may be experienced immediately following the surgery but will gradually improve with time. Expect that your vision will not be perfect immediately following the procedure.

A majority of unfavorable results can be attributed to problems with the flap cut into the cornea of the eye to allow the laser to pass through the cornea. This flap is cut in one of two ways. The most common way is using a device known as a microkeratome. A microkeratome uses a blade to cut the flap which is then laid back over the eye after the surgery. The newest way to create this flap is by using a second laser known as Intralase. Intralase has been shown to be more accurate thus resulting in an increased rate of successful procedures with fewer complications following the surgery. Regardless of which method is used, if the flap is cut incorrectly it can fail to reattach itself properly and result in some of the complications listed above.

For the most part LASIK has become and is continuing to become just as safe as other elective surgeries. Although some risks do exists, a majority of individuals report great success with LASIK and it will only continue to become more popular. As with any surgery, make sure you do your research and make sure you choose a qualified, proven doctor to perform this procedure and soon you’ll be seeing 20/20!

The Excimer laser is a form of ultraviolet chemical laser, and is the key element that has made laser eye surgery possible. Though Excimer laser was originally used in semiconductor manufacturing in the 1970s, its use in eye surgery is now fairly widespread. While working at the IBM research laboratories in 1982, Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasin and his research team discovered the potential of the Excimer laser in interacting with biological tissue. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Steven Trokel, explained its connection with the corneal tissue. And this was how LASIK eye surgery came into existence.

There are several types of lasers, but excimer is the preferred choice when it comes to corrective eye surgery. This is due to the fact that excimer is the most technologically advanced laser type. The excimer laser is, literally, a cool laser. That is, it precisely removes the desired part of the corneal tissue, without heating up or damaging the adjacent tissue. Quite amazingly, the excimer laser is so precise that it is capable of removing 0.5% of a human hair’s width at a time. That fact itself is enough for patients to believe that excimer-assisted eye surgery is not a gimmick, but a true technology leveraged procedure.

With the computer technology at its disposal and the precision offered by the laser, LASIK surgery has emerged as the number one choice for patients with refractive error. Since the excimer laser emits cool, minute beams that make precise incisions on the surface of the cornea, a dedicated technician operates the machine while the ophthalmologist performs the surgery.

Your eyes are your window to the world and your sight is the most important of the five senses. Hence, it is all the more imperative that, if need be, you go for an eye surgery that is reliable and has minimal side effects. With the high-precision technology of the excimer laser and the overall reliability of the procedure, LASIK is the most prevalent of corrective eye surgeries.

Have you thought about having LASIK eye surgery? May be you know someone who has gotten it done and they have told you what to expect. Are you still nervous about making the decision to have your eyes permanently reshaped? Knowing what will happen during the surgery will help to alleviate these fears that you have.

The second reason for the first couple of visits to the doctor is to assess your personal health history, to see if you are a viable candidate for the procedure. The doctor will be looking for things such as a change in eyewear prescriptions with in the past year, a history of Glaucoma, thin corneas and previous eye injuries. These are a few of the possible issues that will keep you from becoming a good candidate for the operation.

The surgeon will be using a large machine that is attached to a microscope, a computer and the laser. You will be given an eye drop that has a numbing agent in it and your eye will be cleaned. After the cleaning your eyelid will be held open by a specialized speculum, this will prevent blinking. A ring will be placed over the cornea, this will be an applied using high pressure to lift the cornea off the eye, this may feel slightly painful.

It is important to stop wearing your contacts several weeks before these tests are performed. Contact lenses can temporarily change the shape of the cornea; the doctor will need to see them in their natural state. This will help the doctor to get an accurate measurement of the cornea, therefore an accurate measurement as to how much needs to be removed for the best vision possible.

When the cornea is in place, the surgeon then cuts the cornea to permit the laser access to the eye. Now it is time for the laser to do its job, the exact measurements of how much needs to be removed to correctly reshape the eye was programmed into the computer from the tests that were done in the office.

Before you even get to the operating room, you will undergo some tests with an optometrist. These tests are designed to let the surgeon know how much work the cornea needs to have done. These tests will serve two purposes; they will of course assess your eyes and eyesight to see if your particular situation can be fixed.

The computer stops the laser at the exact time that the right amount of tissue has been removed. That’s it; the LASIK eye surgery is complete. The doctor will then put a patch over the eye to protect the cornea during the healing process. Most people are back to work and normal routines with in a couple of days to a week, but your doctor will be able advise you regarding your personal situation.