Lasik Surgery..

What Is Lasik Surgery and Is It Right For You?

This Web site is all about Lasik eye surgery and other vision treatments.  Our goal is to anticipate your every Lasik surgery question and provide answers that are understandable and easy to find. 

On the bottom of this page you will see a menu that will lead you to all you want to know about Lasik... and more.  Now let's get down to business and do some explaining about Lasik surgery.

Lasik is a surgical procedure that has proven effect in reducing a person's dependency on glasses or contact lenses.

LASIK is short for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis.  That is a surgical procedure that permanently changes the shape of your cornea.  The cornea is the clear covering over the front of the eye. A knife, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back and that reveals the middle section of the cornea called the stroma.

Pulses emanating from the computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced.

No hospitalization is necessary.  The surgery takes place in your Lasik specialist's office.  The surgery is quick and relatively painless.  You will be glad to know that this surgery is now so proven and routine that millions of people can vouch for its effectiveness. 

Even though Lasik is a very safe procedure it is important to understand that it is surgery and there are risks involved.  It's rare, but on occasion serious medical complications do occur. 

Because your health and good eyesight will be at risk, your doctor will ask you to schedule a pre-surgery appointment.  During this interview the specialist will ask a series of health related questions and gives you a careful examination. 

This pre-surgical exam allows the surgeon to place you into one of three categories:

1. Ideal candidate,

2. Less-than-ideal candidate,

3. Non-candidate. 

Let's go over some of the health issues that can determine whether are, or are not a patient that will be a good candidate for Lasik eye surgery.

Extremely Low Vision

Lasik eye surgery is near miraculous, but even so it is limited in the amount of vision it can correct.  Unfortunately some people are beyond the procedure's ability to help.  The Food and Drug Administration does not allow patients with more than +6.00 diopters of hyperopia or -14.00 diopters of myopia to undertake the surgery.  These numbers are simply the way a person's sight is measured.  It's not important that you have a complete understanding of the results of your examination.

Patients with more than 6.00 diopters of astigmatism are also ineligible according to FDA standards.  The Lasik doctor can determine this information easily with a refractive eye exam.

Eyeglass Prescription

During your growing years, your eyes continually change size and shape.  That's why a young person's prescription for eyeglasses or contacts is constantly changing.  Most prescriptions stabilize around the time a person reaches the age of 18 years. 

The point of stabilization is not the same for everyone.  For some it doesn't occur until sometime in their 20's.  For this reason, surgeons prefer operating on patients over the age of 18 and whose prescription has remained stable for at least two years.  This helps ensure that the eyes have stopped developing.  Operating on eyes that are still growing can create complications.  An eye that continues to develop will render the surgery worthless.  

Your General Health

Certain health factors can prevent you from becoming an acceptable candidate for Lasik surgery.  Now you may be asking yourself just what those factors could be?  Read on…

Certain autoimmune disorders that slow the healing process make Lasik eye surgery a higher risk for those with the problem.  In addition, patients with conditions requiring medications such as immunosuppresants and steroids are also considered less-than-ideal. These are also medications that slow the healing process and increase the risk of complications.

Patients who are pregnant or who are nursing fall out of the ideal candidate classification.  This is because the shape of the eyes can be temporarily affected by hormonal changes during such times in a woman's life.

Your Anterior Eye Health

Ophthalmologists often divide the eye into two portions:  anterior, or front, and posterior, or back.  The anterior portion of the eye includes the iris, the eyelids, the cornea, the conjunctiva, the sclera, and the lens.  The Lasik surgeon will check for abnormalities in these areas using a biomicroscope, called a slit-lamp.  For this test you will be asked to sit in the examining chair and put your chin on a chin rest.  The doctor will then shine a line of light into your eyes in order to examine the anterior area of the eye.

Abnormalities in this area of the eye can diminish the likelihood of your being considered an ideal Lasik eye surgery patient.

Your Posterior Eye Health

Specific eye diseases, such as ocular hypertension, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, can be detected through a posterior eye exam.  This area includes the optic nerve, the retina, and blood vessels.  An examination of the posterior region of the eye is called a fundus exam.  Shining a light into your eye and looking through your pupil is the method used in this particular examination.

The Case of the Irregularly Shaped Cornea

What About Thin Corneas?