Has your eye doctor recommended LASIK surgery to improve your vision and eye health?
Before LASIK surgery, your eye doctor will evaluate your eye and overall health to determine whether surgery is right for you. If your eye doctor finds you suitable for LASIK surgery, they will tell you how to prepare for it.
An essential part of preparation is asking your eye doctor questions to assure you understand the procedure. It is also crucial to ensure that you work with a qualified eye surgeon and quality equipment. That way, you can be level-headed as you continue with the surgery. Here are five important questions to ask your eye doctor before LASIK surgery.
What Is LASIK Surgery?
LASIK is an abbreviation for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. It is an automatic laser that removes tissue from your eye to change the shape of your cornea. The procedure is quick and painless, and it improves your eyesight permanently. That means the changes made to the shape of your eye are irreversible.
LASIK gives people an alternative to eyeglasses and contact lenses. Aside from fine-tuning vision, patients no longer need to wear glasses or contact lenses. But aging can make it necessary for you to wear reading eyeglasses in the future. LASIK is an outpatient treatment session that lasts between 10 and 30 minutes.
How Do the Lasers Work?
During surgery, your eye surgeon will use lasers to remove eye tissue and remodel your cornea. Using a cutting laser, the doctor will cut out a flap from the front part of your eye and fold it back. That way, they can access the area of your cornea that needs reshaping. The doctor will then modify the shape of your cornea using an automatic laser that is adjusted to your eye’s measurements. That ensures the changes to your cornea’s shape are precise.
Is LASIK Eye Suitable for Everyone?
LASIK works for patients with refractive eye problems, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism. To qualify for LASIK, you must:
Be over 18 years old
Have a stable vision. Those whose vision changes often may not be eligible for LASIK
Have healthy eyes, including a suitably thick cornea
Not have uncontrolled health problems, such as diabetes
Not have severe glaucoma
Not have a family or medical history of eye problems, such as keratoconus
Not be pregnant or breastfeeding
Is LASIK Safe?
LASIK surgery is minimally invasive, meaning you do not need sutures or wound dressings after the procedure. You might experience some discomfort after the surgery, but mildly. Your eyes may also feel dry for some time, but you can soothe their dryness with artificial tears. The risk of the dryness becoming a lingering problem is rare.
Generally, eye doctors consider LASIK surgery safe with little to no complications. Thanks to its improved technology, LASIK's complication rate is less than one percent.
What Are Your Qualifications and Experience?
LASIK surgery is common, but you should not overlook your eye surgeon’s qualifications and expertise. Ask your surgeon how many LASIK surgeries they have done and their success rate. A qualified and experienced surgeon should have done no less than a few hundred LASIK procedures and have a success rate above 96 percent. Also, the surgeon should be performing the procedures regularly, a sign that their talent is in shape.
To learn more about LASIK surgery, visit Grin Eye Care at our office in Leawood, Olathe, or Kansas City, Missouri. Call (913) 829-5511 to book an appointment today.
