Refractive eye surgery is very effective in rectifying visual refractive errors and decreasing the dependency on glasses and contacts. It has been proven successful in reducing myopia (nearsightness), astigmatism (elongated corneas), hyperopia (farsightedness) and many other problems caused by refractive errors.

The medicine comprises four types of refractive eye surgery procedures: corneal incision procedures; flap and photoablation procedures; implants and thermal procedures. Nowadays the modern technology allows the doctors to use the laser to reshape the cornea.

During a flap procedure, the surgeon cuts a tiny flap in the cornea to reshape the tissue underneath and correct the refractive error.

Lasik (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) is very popular in the field of refractive surgery and can correct astigmatism, hyperopia and myopia. At first the surgeon uses a IntraLase or a microkeratome to move a flap out of the stroma. Next, he uses an excimer laser to remove excess corneal tissue and only after that he replaces the flap.

The best candidates for Lasik are the people with flat or thin corneas. A small trephine blade cuts into the epithelium while a mild alcohol solution will smoothen its edges. Excess corneal tissue is removed with an excimer laser and in the end the flap is replaced.

Just like LASEK, the Epi-LASIK cuts the epithelium but epikeratome is used as a replacement for alcohol and blade.

The second stage in flap procedures is photoablation because it removes excess corneal tissue with ultraviolet radiation. The original laser eye surgery procedure was PRK (photorefractive keratectomy).

This intervention used local aesthetic eye drops to numb the eye followed by the reshaping of the cornea. The excimer laser is an ultraviolet beam of light controlled by the computer that won´t cause any damage to the tissue around the eyes.

Arcuate keratotomy and radial keratotomy are two corneal incision procedures that alter the surface of the cornea to correct refractive errors. Radial keratotomy (RK) makes a few spoke-shaped incisions in the cornea with a diamond knife and by doing that it can treat myopia. Arcuate keratotomy is pretty much the same except that the diamond knife cuts parallel incisions to the edge of the cornea.

Farsightedness or temporarily hyperopic refractive errors can be corrected with heat thanks to thermal procedures. During the thermal keratoplasty procedure, the surgeon puts a ring of 8 or 16 small burns around the pupil. The heat causes contractions and makes the cornea steeper.

Thermal keratoplasty comprises Laser Thermal Keratoplasty (LTK) with holmium laser and Conductive Keratoplasty (CK) with high-frequency electric probes.

Last but not least, we have the implants. Thanks to implantable contact lenses (ICL) inserted in the cornea through small incisions, many patients suffering from astigmatism, hyperopia and myopia were cured. ICL sit behind the cornea refocusing the light and offering a natural image.

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Many people agree that a Lasik vision correction can change a person´s life. After several years spent wearing contacts or glasses and after dealing with serious eye health problems, many patients have undergone Lasik eye surgery and were very pleased with the results.

Before visiting a doctor for the Lasik surgery, you might want to know how much this will cost you because nowadays a medical treatment can be quite expensive.

At first, many people were afraid about allowing a doctor to use a laser over their eyes but in time the technology, the training and the tools got better and better and that made the surgeon´s job safer and easier day after day.

It´s recommended that you visit a good Lasik eye surgeon when you decide to go ahead with the surgery but before setting up an appointment, it would be best if you check the prices. Also, it´s very important to know if your insurance covers this type of procedure in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

The price for a Lasik surgery is highly influenced by numerous factors starting with your location and ending with the doctor´s level of expertise.

When you go see the laser eye surgeon you should ask him the following:

- How much will the equipment maintenance cost?

- How much will I pay for the salaried stuff, the facilities and the supplies?

- If I´m contributing to the royalty payments received by laser manufacturer and what´s the amount to be paid?

- What´s the estimated amount for the follow-up costs for post-operative exams for one year after the surgery?

It´s very important that the surgeon will offer you honest responses because this will influence your decision. Also, there are a few offices that will even negotiate with your vision insurance provider for the covered amount.

The eye is probably the most important body part because it provides the most important sense of all. That´s why every patient is entitled to ask as much as possible about the Lasik eye surgery about the surgeon and last but not least about the financial expenses.

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People with eye-related problems are becoming more and more interested in laser eye surgery and its benefits because this is known to be the most exciting ophthalmologic procedure.

To be more precise, this is a refractive eye surgery that can correct all types of refractive errors such as: astigmatism (distorted vision), myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness).

Even if the medicine offers various types of surgical techniques for correcting refractive errors, the laser eye surgery was labelled by the American Academy of Ophthalmology the most technically advanced and precise one.

The excimer laser was the first laser ever approved for eye surgery and it´s used to correct myopia. Now, this laser is used in two different procedures: Laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) and Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK).

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)

The surgeon maps and measures the patient´s eye before the procedure in order to analyse the problem. Then, he uses a few local anesthetic eye drops and reshapes the cornea eliminating tiny amounts of tissue from the outer surface.

Next, the doctor uses an ultra violet beam of light and cuts notches the size of human hair. Each pulse of light can remove a 39 millionth of an inch of cornel tissue in only 12 billionths of a second.

According to same studies, only 5% of the patients still use permanent glasses after the surgery while 15% need visual aids only when driving.

Laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)

The LASIK procedure is more complicated than PRK but it´s a solution for solving all types of myopia.

The surgeon uses the Microkeratome to cut a corneal tissue flap in order to replace it. Everything depends on the doctor because with LASIK he has to make a very precise incision.
The patient only feels a little discomfort and sometimes an irritation but those won´t last too long. In most cases, the patients returned to their normal life in only two or three days.

With LASIK there can be only one side effect and that is occasional glare at night.
Anyway, everyone should know that even if the results are said to be permanent, the age can influence the final results and in some cases the doctor may even suggested re-surgery.

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