Lasik Laser Eye Surgery

Some people who undergo LASIK surgery have experienced some kind of complication . However, if you have an experienced surgeon by your side, the rate of surgical complications is far reduced. Common sense aside, one should base their decisions on the actual facts reported by their treatment provider. Overall, the number of complications are generally reported to be less than 1%. Most of the reported problems are handled through laser re-treatments or enhancements.

In order to understand the kind of complications people have your should understand what a LASIK treatment is all about. During surgery a laser beam is used to cut a very thin, hinged flap into the front of the eye. The flap is then lifted and the laser is applied to re-shape the eye, and then the flap is replaced to heal.

It is true that laser eye surgery is a safe and efficacious procedure for correcting a host of visual anomalies. However, as with any surgical procedure, refractive surgery has potential side effects or complications. Complications due to laser eye surgery may be classified into four categories - preoperative, intra-operative, early postoperative, and late postoperative. Peruse this article to have a clear understanding of the major complications associated with laser eye surgery.

One of the more frequently reported complications is dry eye. It has been reported that the surgery worsens the dry eye condition, where the tear gland’s capacity to produce tears is diminished. Another possible complication is over/under-correction, and in the worst case, loss of corrected vision. In the latter of the mentioned complications, the postoperative visual acuity is less than the preoperative one.

Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery may experience halos or starbursts around light sources at night. The eyes may experience abnormal light sensitivity and the patient may suffer from ghost vision or double vision. Then there are a few possible flap complications. A small microkeratome malfunction may result in an inappropriately cut flap. This in turn may lead to a number of different flap complications.

The most common among flap complications is flap dislocation, where the flap no longer rests on a hinge and is rather detached from the cornea. Another flap complication involves the appearance of folds in the flap. This hampers the natural healing process and typically necessitates repositioning of the flap. On the other hand, an awry healing procedure may result in debris or growth under the flap.

Though quite uncommon with the new breed of lasers, another possible complication is “de-centered ablation”. This pertains to an imprecise ablation of the corneal tissue because of an inaccurately focused laser. Another rare complication is induced astigmatism.

The rapid enhancement in laser technology and other pertinent eye surgery equipment has reduced the complication rate to a meager 3%. This is also owing to an increase in the experience of eye surgeons. All in all, laser eye surgery is a potent procedure to correct a variety of refractive errors thereby enhancing a patient’s visual acuity.

Eye muscle surgery is performed to hopefully straighten out your eyes and therefore, straighten your vision. It is a surgical procedure that can be completed in a few hours, letting you go home the same day you came in. This surgery can be given to children and adults alike. Surgeons take measurements to determine the imbalance of the eyes. The eye muscle is separated from the eyeball side and then reattached at another position with special stitches that do not need to be taken out. After the surgery is done, the patient is taken to the recovery room to be monitored before determining when it is time to go. There may be some discomfort after surgery, so check with your surgeon on steps to cut down the discomfort at home.

Learn more about eye muscle surgery…

What are the possible effects of laser eye surgery? Laser eye surgery is not as risky as it used to be but it still does have plenty of risks associated with it. Many people are choosing this type of surgical procedure to correct their vision. It is important for anyone thinking about having eye surgery to be aware of the risks and possible outcomes of the surgery. Making an informed decision starts with discussing the possible outcomes with your surgeon.

Better Vision

Of course the ideal outcome is that you will come out of the surgery with better vision than before. Although it is possible to have fully corrected vision and not need glasses at all any more, it is also possible that you will still need glasses to see at certain distances. The ideal outcome for vision correction is to have your vision fully restored and no further need of glasses or contacts.

No Change

It is also possible that despite the surgeons best efforts you will walk away from the surgery clinic with little or no change in your eyesight. Although this is very disappointing it can usually be rectified with an additional surgery. This is not very common but it is a possibility that you should be prepared for.

Worse Vision

Most people thinking of having laser surgery do not consider the possible result of having worse vision than before. Even when their surgeon clearly states this as a possible result of the surgery many patients have a difficult time actually thinking this could happen to them. Often this type of outcome can be corrected through and additional surgery but it is possible that the damage to the eyes will be permanent.

Full Vision Loss

Your ophthalmology surgeon will explain the worst possible outcome to you at your consultation appointment. Although it is extremely uncommon to have a laser surgery result in blindness, it is possible and you should be informed about this possible result of your surgery.

Infection

This is fairly uncommon but still can happen to anyone who is having corrective eye surgery. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic or antibiotic eye drop to help prevent an infection from occurring. If an infection does occur it is important to get it treated right away to prevent damage to your eyes or your vision.

Finding out from Your Surgeon

Anyone thinking about having laser eye surgery should be aware of all the possible outcomes to their surgery. Doing your own research and educating yourself on the techniques, training, and results of laser eye surgery will be beneficial when you attend your consultation meeting with your surgeon.

At your consultation, feel free to discuss your concerns regarding the type of surgery you will be undergoing. An open discussion of the possible effects of eye surgery is the best way to gather the important information you need in order to make your decision. The Internet is another great resource tool for finding out more information on laser eye surgery.

Change in shape of the cornea is a serious complication that can occur with laser eye surgery which has implications on receiving and wearing contact lenses. If after the surgery the cornea is oddly shaped, you may have problems finding contacts that will fit. If this happens, special contacts, which will much more expensive than the average lens, would be required. A bad LASIK eye surgery can also result in constant burning and irritation, which may be treated with eye drops. However, if your doctor does not thoroughly explain the risks involved, find a new doctor!

“Let the Buyer Beware!” No where is this more important than in medical procedures. There is never any guarantee that you will not experience complications. There have been over half a million LASIK surgeries done since the procedure was approved in 1998, but there is no guarantee that a procedure will last your entire life.

Just doing a little research–even just asking how many procedures done by the doctor, how many of those procedures were successful and how many had complications—may keep you from turning something that is just inconvenient (such as wearing glasses or contacts) to something that is life-long. While most complications associated with LASIK Eye Surgery are just minor annoyances, becoming permanently disabled may be more than a simple minor annoyance.

Millions have had vision correction, but perfect eyesight not guaranteed Click Here for the complete story

Article Courtesy of Lasik Eye Surgery

Eye lift surgery is a surgical procedure that can not only improve your vision, but make you look younger. This procedure is done by removing the excess skin from both eyelids, which provides the patient a more relaxed look. It can also be done to widen the eye so you can see more of the world. The reason for eyelift surgery is because as you get older, your eyelids tend to relax more and therefore, tend to get thin. Gravity tends to pull down your cheeks and eyebrows. When all these areas are pulled down by aging, your eyelids go south with them, giving you the “puppy dog look”. This can be a same day procedure, but may take up to two weeks to fully recover.

Read more about eyelift surgery…