Lasik Laser Eye Surgery

If you have noticed sagging skin and bags around your eyes then there is a good chance other people have noticed as well.

The solution could be eye lift surgery and as far as the plastic surgery procedure stakes is concerned, it’s one of the most popular.

One of the first considerations you need to be making if the question of eye lift surgery has cropped up is whether it’s worth jeopardizing your finances for. It’s a popular procedure yes, but it is also considered a somewhat extravagant procedure by many.

In reality though, the procedure has many great benefits and apart from giving a person back somewhat of a refreshing appearance, it can improve the symmetrical proportion of a person’s face and in many cases, can improve the visual aspect especially if sagging skin is hampering a person’s vision.

How Much Does It Cost?

Getting a quote can be a little misleading if you simply phone the doctor’s practice and get a quote over the phone.

Why?

Unit pricing basically means there are a number of individual pieces to the overall puzzle and the total cost can only be guaged by adding all the individual costs.

Here are some examples:

- hospital or surgeon’s facilities
- equipment fees such as lasers
- additional staff fees including that of the anesthesiologist who can command up to 10 per cent or more of the total cost
- and of course the surgeon’s fee

The surgeon will command between 33-50 per cent of the overall cost which can go as high as $7000 and beyond. Can you afford it? There is no harm in investigating the possibility of eye lift surgery particularly if the appearance around your eyes is in dire need of refreshing.

When discussing the costs of the procedure with your surgeon it may pay to ask about the benefits vs. the risks. Yes, there is some risk, although only slight and it’s par for the course with surgery related matters but if you feel the benefits far outweigh any risks and you feel it’s affordable, then you can consider yourself an eye lift surgery candidate.

So why would anyone consider having cosmetic eye surgery?

In short, it’s designed to remove the fat and excess skin around the eyes and once you reach middle age, this is an area which concerns many people. It’s a sign of aging when the skin begins to lose it’s elasticity.

You’ll notice it on various parts of your body and for the most part, it will be hidden away behind clothing. However, where the eye area is concerned, unless you want to walk around wearing sunglasses 24 hours a day, it’s hard to hide.

Some might consider cosmetic eye surgery a little extravagant and will suggest you can’t fight back the ravages of time. That’s true but if the technology is available to regain a fresh appearance to an area which creates first impressions to other people then why not at least consider it.

What’s Involved?

Depending on the level of cosmetic surgery you’re considering the procedure can take from 1-3 hours. The length will depend on whether you have just the lower or upper eyelids treated or both.

The severity of the procedure will also dictate whether you need to spend a day or two in hospital or whether you can head home the same day the surgery is performed. In most cases the latter will apply.

Most people choose the first option and are aware of the procedure taking place. Incisions are part of the procedure and depending on what area they are made, stitches will be required.

Cost Of Cosmetic Eye Surgery

It’s a little difficult to settle on an average cost because of the variance in procedure level. Prices can start from as low as $1500 and for more involved surgery, cost can spiral to between $6-$7000. These prices are only a guide and may vary considerably from state-to-state.

It’s a good practice to spend time discussing cosmetic eye surgery cost with your doctor as pricing isn’t just based on the operation itself but will include fees such as hospital fees, lower or upper eye lids, anesthesiologist and surgeon.

The popularity of Lasik eye surgery continues to grow and more people are experiencing the benefits of this breakthrough eye surgery technique.

So are there any risks with Lasik eye surgery? Sure, as there is with any surgery but the benefits associated with it are considered by most to far outweigh the negatives.

Should you consider Lasik eye surgery? That’s not within the scope of this article to advise you whether you qualify but only to point out it is available. Whether you qualify or not depends on a number of aspects with your own health condition being number one.

How’s Your Health?

Obviously, if you’re not in good overall health, it wouldn’t be wise to sign up for any elective surgery. Diabetics, it is generally thought, would not be good candidates for Lasik eye surgery. If you’re pregnant or nursing, this is something you’ll want to put on hold.

In fact, you will need to go through a stringent qualifying session during your initial consultation to determine whether you are a safe candidate for Lasik eye surgery. If you don’t, then consider seeing another surgeon.

You must be at least 18 years old and have had a steady prescription for glasses or contacts for at least the previous 2 years. In addition, your cornea, the part of the eye that is cut to make a flap so that the laser can then remove corneal tissue, needs to be a certain thickness in order for the flap to be successfully cut.

If an eye doctor tells you that your cornea is too thin for Lasik eye surgery, listen to him because it could cause irreversible damage to the cornea if that small incision doesn’t go right.

Make absolutely certain you disclose all of the medications you are taking to your eye surgeon.

Your Occupation

Finally, although not many, there are a few occupations that will pass you by if you have Lasik eye surgery. Certain jobs within the armed forces, pilots, and some jobs that require frequent immersion in water are some examples where this could be a problem. Even if you’re not currently affiliated with one of these jobs, you’ll want to think of your future.

Your vision will certainly be blurry for at least a day or two after your surgery. Some complications that can arise include continued blurry vision, halos around light and glare. You may have difficulty driving at night for some time. It could take several months for your vision to stabilize. At first, you can expect some burning, itching, and even a little pain.

Post Lasik eye surgery care is important and your doctor will assess the extent of your needs and provide some guidelines to follow.

All in all though, Lasik has been a wonderful boon to many people with vision problems as mentioned earlier, the benefits outweigh the risks. If you are concerned about the risks then discuss this with your surgeon and never go ahead with the procedure if the risks in your case are great. Your surgeon should have plenty to say about this.

Eye surgery techniques have come a long way in the past decade and in recent years, the development of IntraLasik has meant many people who formerly weren’t good candidates for treatment, can now enjoy it’s benefits.

Known as blade free lasik, IntraLasik has been described as one of the safest forms of eye surgery available.

It’s many benefits include better precision, better accuracy, greater safety and a better chance of achieving 20/20 vision and beyond. It’s precision and safety is unquestioned but claims it provides better vision for patients than the blade technique is still a little up in the air. It has also received criticism because it’s believed conditions such as photophobia, which is another term for unusual sensitivity to light, has been common.

Basically, the Intralasik method involves two main steps.

1. Firstly, a small flap is established over the protective layer over the cornea and

2. Secondly, the cornea is then re-shaped and any errors are corrected.

Does It Cost More?

Yes, it has been determined the cost of Intralasik treatment could be up to several hundred dollars more per eye however, this can vary greatly from patient to patient.
To offset this, as opposed to the blade techniques, there is obviously the elimination of blade related complications developing and in the final analysis, lower surgery risk is a huge factor in whether candidates decide to go ahead with any procedure.

Finding Well Qualified Surgeons

In many cases, any machinery or device is only as good as the person operating it and this principle can be applied to IntraLasik treatment. For greater peace of mind:

- Do some research on the surgeon you’re interested in
- Get a definite understanding of his/her experience level
- Ask for references from previous patients if possible

It’s understandable to be concerned if the surgeon has had very little experience in the field of IntraLasik.

The following article is from a series of health-related articles and tips on corrective eye surgery …

The natural progression of supply and demand has led to the influx of a number of lasik eye centers all over the country. As with most cultural trends, they originated in a few larger cities and have been quickly spreading out over the face of the nation as the scientific benefits of corrective laser eye surgery becomes more widely known. This quick growth has offered tremendous benefit to customers as competition between service providers has led to a decrease in cost and an increase in the quality of the service that is being provided.

One big advantage of the increased competitiveness between lasik vision clinics is the resulting quality of service that customers are receiving. Eye surgeons know that consumers can, and will, choose where they want to go. They have also come to understand that, just like any other business, the news of poor service spreads a lot faster than any good news. Word of mouth and personal recommendations are the lasik eye surgeons best advertising tools and they must ensure that every client walks out of the door happy. This is necessary in order for the business to remain viable. In an area where there are several lasik eye clinics competing, customers are sure to get great service.

The ability to spend all of their advanced educational energy on one specialization is one factor that allows the eye surgeons who run lasik eye clinics to succeed. Since their practice is built on the premise of doing one thing better than anybody else, they do not get distracted with the required to keep up with when managing a general eye health practice. They can spend all of the training time for them, and their staff, on fine-tuning their skills to perform the highest quality corrective laser eye surgery possible.

Many lasik eye centers are part of a larger chain of stores. There are many benefits that come with managing a lasik eye surgery center in this way. Standardized procedures ensure that each patient receives premium care and that no step, whether preparatory or post-op, is overlooked. These chains try to keep a tight rein on quality control. Additionally, the chains usually have a standardized training regiment for their eye surgeons and staff. A requisite number of training hours may be required to keep the collective knowledge of the staff current and fresh.

We are just at the initial phase of the specialized forms of healthcare that will soon become more prevalent in Western Medicine. As the knowledge and methods available become more specialized, we will see clinics of a singular focus becoming more and more popular. Lasik eye centers really are serving to pave the way, not just for eye health care, but for specialized healthcare in general. The lasik eye surgeons who are starting their own clinics are more than just doctors, they are pioneers.

For more information on eye care, visit: Vision Correction Surgery