lasik laser surgery:the risks you could be taking

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Health )



If you happen to wear glasses or contact lenses, chances are you have been told of LASIK laser surgery. Short for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, LASIK is used to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. It is a refractive surgery procedure that produces clearer vision by reshaping or re-sculpting the cornea. When successful, it eliminates your need for glasses or contacts.

Understandably, you may find the whole idea very attractive. Imagine being freed from the bondage of cumbersome glasses or uncomfortable contact lenses!
In a nutshell, what happens during LASIK eye surgery is that a hinged flap is created on the outer portion of your eye, and a computer-guided laser beam that improves your eye’s ability to focus sculpts the exposed underlying cornea.

Before surgery, an optometrist specializing in LASIK laser surgery should determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure. Although only ophthalmologists are allowed to perform LASIK, your optometrist can provide valuable guidance before and after the procedure. There are several factors taken into consideration during the evaluation. For example, if you have a history of certain diseases like Glaucoma or Herpes, LASIK is NOT for you. If you have thin corneas or if you have had to change eyewear prescription over the past year, LASIK is NOT for you.

LASIK is generally safe if you are a good candidate. Therefore, during your evaluation be as cooperative and as honest as possible.
As with any surgical procedure, LASIK has a high degree of risk, and one or more of the following complications may occur:
1. The automated instrument fails to leave a hinge on the corneal flap resulting in free cornea.
2. You may lose the corneal flap either during or after the operation.
3. The corneal flap might slip and heal off center.
4. The first incision could be too deep causing perforation of the eye, or too shallow causing a hole in the flap.
5. Corneal thinning could require corneal transplant.
6. The surface tissue could also invade the central tissue of the cornea.
7. Your cornea could also get infected.
8. You could end up with ptosis, or a permanent droopy eyelid.
9. You could also suffer from the loss of visual acuity due to the scarring or to the induced change in the corneal shape.

Awareness of the risks involved may not eliminate them totally, but it will help you make the right decision.

You must also understand that for all the hype surrounding this latest development in vision correction, there is always the possibility being under-treated or over-treated. This means that even after the surgery, you might still need to wear glasses or contacts—the very thing you were trying to get rid of.

And then there are the possible side effects like dry eye and glare. And although extremely rare, you might even suffer permanent vision loss. So ask yourself if you are willing to take the chance with LASIK laser surgery. After all imperfect eyesight is certainly better than no eyesight at all.


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