Waking up and carrying on with your life without wearing your usual contact lenses or prescription glasses can improve the quality of your life. LASIK is a vision correction surgery that allows you to see clearly without any visual aid.
LASIK stands for laser in-situ keratomileusis. Individuals who are farsighted, nearsighted, or with astigmatism can benefit from the surgery by having their corneas reshaped to allow light to refocus on their retina.
Why Is LASIK Done?
Blurry vision happens when a refractive error occurs by light failing to focus as it should on your retina. Below are the common types of refractive errors:
Myopia – Also called nearsightedness. You see clearly when an object is close to you, but your vision gets blurry when it is far from you.
Hyperopia - Also called farsightedness. You see clearly when an object is far from you, but your vision gets blurry when it is close to you.
Astigmatism – Everything you see is blurry because of your eye shape.
Is LASIK Right for You?
Your doctor can advise you against LASIK surgery if you:
Are below 18 years – Surgeons prefer performing the surgery on individuals who have stabilized eyesight.
Are pregnant – Nursing or pregnant individuals produce hormones that affect eyesight.
Have uneven and thin cornea.
Take certain medicines.
Have certain health conditions like diabetes.
Have certain eye conditions such as severe dry eyes.
Have poor health – Being unhealthy can generally affect how your body heals after the surgery.
How Is LASIK Surgery Done?
LASIK procedure can generally take less than 10 minutes of operating time. Your doctor will use the laser for less than one minute on each of your eyes. However, every procedure time can vary because of the varying eye complexities.
Your doctor will numb your eyes by using eye drops. They will gently open your eyelids and accurately position a flap-making precision instrument. They then position a special light and ask you to focus on it as they electronically activate the precision instrument. Seconds after stimulating the tool, they will fold away the corneal flap and reveal your cornea’s middle layer.
The doctor will treat myopia by flattening the cornea to decrease your eye’s converging power. They correct hyperopia by steepening the cornea to enhance your converging power. Astigmatism gets corrected by making your cornea more spherical. They use an excimer laser to reshape the cornea. They will then place the corneal flap back in position and secure it in place until you finish healing.
Side Effects
LASIK surgery has rare complications that result in vision loss. Side effects such as having temporary visual instabilities or dry eye are common after surgery. The side effects can clear after a couple of weeks or months. Consult your doctor once you experience the side effects to understand what you should do and when you can return for a checkup.
When to See a Doctor
It is ideal to see your doctor if you experience persisting vision problems or side effects after your surgery.
For more on LASIK surgery, visit Grin Eye Care at our offices in Leawood, Olathe, Lawrence, Independence, Raymore, or Kansas City, Missouri. You can call (913) 829-5511 today to schedule an appointment.
