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LASIK the new innovative procedure to get the clear vision you’ve been wanting

LASIK is a painless refractive surgery that can correct the problems in your vision. The how and what goes on before, during and after the operation itself will be spilled here.

It is first important to know what LASIK stands for. It is a Laser treatment assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. Thus, it is a type of refractive laser for eye surgery that requires less time for recovery and less pain for the patient. Many patients choose LASIK as an alternative to their corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, not everyone is a candidate for this procedure.

Through the advances in technology in laser and the developments on refractive surgery since the 1950’s, Lucio Burato of Italy and Ioannis Pallikaris of Greece who joined their techniques with the Keratomileusis and Refractive Keratectomy made LASIK possible in 1990. This, later on, became LASIK.

As compared to the year 1991, we now have faster lasers, bladeless flap incisions, larger spot areas and wave front, which are optimized and guided techniques that makes this procedure even more effective, along with lesser complications.
Not all people who want to have this procedure can undergo LASIK. There are six general guidelines that ophthalmologists use to determine if LASIK can work for you.

1. You must be an adult by law. You need to be 18 or in some countries 21. However, others can be treated by certain exceptions.
2. Your eyes should be healthy as if you don’t have infections in the eyes namely Conjunctivitis. Any injury is not good. This is also the case if you have dry eyes for some time now. These illnesses, as mentioned above, can be resolved. You only need to wait for your eyes to be healthy again. A complete disqualification for this procedure would be grave cases or conditions like Cataract, Keratoconus and Uncontrolled Glaucoma, which can interfere with your vision.
3. Another criterion is that you should have a stable vision for at least a year. Many patients can have an unstable vision during their teenage years. Thus, this usually becomes stable when they reach there 20’s. The usual problem of this people is when they are nearsighted, it gradually becomes worse. They are not good candidates for LASIK until they have stable vision, and if their doctor prescribes it.
4. Pregnancy can cause hormonal changes and fluid levels to rise. Thus, it can change shape of your corneas and finally lead to changes in your vision. LASIK is not performed in women until their hormones and vision have returned back to their usual state after pregnancy. Another reason for disapproving pregnant people is because of the medications given after the procedure. These medications can be harmful to the fetus.
5. Disease, which is classified as Degenerative like Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Type I diabetes Mellitus, and the like, are disqualifiers.
6. The prescribed procedure should be applicable to the eye disorder the person have. For example, a very myopic or nearsighted person is not a candidate for LASIK because a better choice for the disorder would be the implantation of artificial lenses known as Phakic Intraocular Lenses.

The procedure in LASIK like all other types of surgery needs proper preparation in the pre- operative period or before operation. Patients who wear soft contact lenses are instructed to stop wearing it for five up to seven days before the surgery. This is in order for the eyes to rest before the eyes can be set for a real grade.

People who wear hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks. Plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts had been worn. A procedure called Pachymeter is used to determine the corneas thickness. The topographer will then measure the surface contour. Low-powered lasers used by the topographer will create a topographic map of the cornea in order to determine which part of the corneal tissue and how much should be removed during the operative procedure. The patient will also be asked to take an antibiotic before the procedure takes place. Of course, this is also for the reason that a risk of infection could result after the operation.

The operation itself is just made by three steps:
• First, creating a thin flap in the eye.
• Second, fold it so as the tissue underneath the laser can regenerate.
• Then, finally, the flap will be re-positioned back and left to heal after the operation.
This is performed while the patient is awake. LASIK is an ambulatory procedure. This means that the patients will walk in before the surgery and can walk out after the surgery. This is due to the fact that the operation will only take around five minutes.
A mild sedative will also be given like that of Valium and Anaesthetic eye drops. Then the doctor needs to make sure that you are directly under the laser. A retractor will hold your eye to be operated on in order to keep your eyelids open. A suction ring will keep your eye pressurized. It is very important for the ophthalmologist to cut the corneal flap. You don’t need to worry because this is a painless procedure.

A marker will then be used on the cornea before creating a flap. A flap will also be created with the use of a Microkeratome or a laser. During this time you won’t be able to see how the flap is created, you can only see the instruments on top of your eye. A computer will be used to adjust the laser for your prescription and you have to look at the target light for a short time while he scans your eye through a microscope. This is while the laser sends light to your cornea.

The laser light will then painlessly re-shape your cornea and you will be able to hear a steady clicking sound. You will also smell a mild acrid odour from the tissue removal. After this, you have to rest for a while and you may even prefer to do the surgery on the other eye as well but you can schedule it a week later.

Most people would not ask for an anti-pain medication after this treatment because it is painless. A slight discomfort is only felt but not like the slight pain felt in Photorefractive Keratectomy or PRK, which is another surgical procedure.

After the operation, just like other minor or major surgeries, complications may occur. However, incidence of these complications is only estimated at 0.4% up to 2.3%, which is almost impossible to occur.

Diffuse Lamellar Keartitis, also known as the Sands of Sahara Syndrome, is one of the early complications but once resolved, it leaves no visual defect. Infection is also possible. Thus, the incidence ratio is only 1 in 5,000 patients. Others may have persistent dry eyes but this occurs in 5% of Caucasians and 28% in Asians only. Re-treatments are mainly because of unrealistic high expectations of people. Other risk factors like older age, astigmatism and higher initial corrections are also next to an unlikely possibility.

Over all qualifications of this surgical procedure, it is considered as highly effective and can be the answer to an eye problem you have. Out of 254 patients who underwent LASIK, about 93% said they were satisfied with the results. As mentioned the effects and qualifications for this treatment may vary from one person to another. Your physician’s advice is needed before you can have one.