What is Laser Vision Correction?
By Jenny Watson
Laser vision correction is a surgical procedure used to reshape the cornea with an excimer laser. This type of surgery can be used on patients suffering from short sight, long sight or astigmatism. Laser vision correction is not an ideal solution for everybody and some people are not candidates for this type of surgery because of the severity of their problem or because of another medical issue. The best laser vision results mean that glasses and contact lenses will no longer be needed by the patient.
What is LASIK?
One of the most common types of laser vision correction is LASIK, or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. In a typical LASIK procedure, the patient will have numbing eye drops placed in the eye and then a lid holder applied to keep the eye open. A microkeratome is used to create a flap in the cornea, which is then folded back to expose the inner corneal tissue. The laser sends pulses of light to remove parts of the cornea while the patient focuses on another light to keep the eye as still as possible. The actual laser exposure time is usually less than a minute.
After the laser treatment, the corneal flap is repositioned. No stitches are needed because the flap will hold itself down when repositioned and heal itself. The patient is given an eye shield and eye drops and told to come back within a day or two so the doctor can see if the eye is healing and whether there are any problems.
Alternatives to LASIK
PRK, LASEK and Epi-LASIK are procedures which are closely related to LASIK. LASEK is often used for people who are not good candidates for LASIK eye surgery because their corneas are too thin or too steep. In LASIK, the corneal flap is created with a blade or laser. In LASEK, a cutting tool used as a trephine is used. LASEK was developed to reduce the likelihood of complication from a corneal flap and alcohol is used in the LASEK procedure in order to be able to peel back part of the epithelial sheet.
PRK, or photorefractive keratectomy, used to be the most common laser vision correction procedure. PRK might be the best laser vision option if you have thin corneas or large pupils.
In Epi-LASIK, a blunt, plastic oscillating blade is used to cut the corneal flap, unlike the LASEK procedure where a trephine is used and also unlike the LASIK procedure where a fine blade or laser is used. Where alcohol is applied in LASEK to loosen the epithelial sheet, the surgeon uses a plastic blade in Epi-LASIK to lift the epithelial sheet, which avoids the possibility of a reaction with the alcohol.
Choosing the Best Laser Vision Correction
Your first port of call should be with your doctor or ophthalmologist who can recommend the best laser vision option for you. It is then up to you to decide whether you want laser vision correction and to ask your doctor questions about the surgery. For some people, laser eye correction is not an option but for others they have the choice between several different procedures so spend plenty of time finding out which is the best one for you before making the decision.
Visit [http://www.lasereyesurgeryarchive.com/]LaserEyeSurgeryArchive.com to find out more about [http://www.lasereyesurgeryarchive.com/lasik-eye-surgery/]LASIK eye surgery procedure and other vision correction procedures.
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