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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LASIK is a simple procedure that allows the surgeon to correct visual errors in only a short period of time, usually a few minutes.

When you decide to have the surgery you´ll have to be very careful when choosing the doctor because its level of expertise is vital for you. Everything will last only half an hour and you´ll only feel a brighter discomfort that will disappear right away.

After the procedure you will be able to use your visual function without any problems.
The procedure is pretty much standard but in some cases there might be some complications and risks involved. That´s why the pre-op evaluation is important because your doctor will answer all your questions and together you´ll decide which the best option for you is.

That´s why before visiting the doctor you might want to do a research so that you´ll know what to ask.

Also, you must make sure that the doctor is licensed for this type of surgery and that its certifications are in order.

As I said before, the surgeon is the most important factor and that´s why you should ask him how many procedures he completed and what were the results. The references are very important and you shouldn´t be ashamed to ask all these details.

You can also ask for references from a former patient because like that you can find out many important things that will influence your decision one way or another.

Honesty is very important in the doctor-patient relationship and that´s why you must receive a true answer when you ask about bonuses offered by the Lasik equipment manufacturer. Sometimes the doctors use their number of patients to gain bonuses and that´s not necessarily a good thing.

A large number of procedures will keep him from being very accurate with every single patient. Remember: your eyes are not a play toy.

You should take into consideration experience, certifications, training, price and the comfort level offered to you by the centre before deciding for a doctor in your area.
Good luck in finding a great surgeon that will solve all your eye-related problems.

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The first thing that must be considered when you consider lasik laser eye surgery procedure is the price. It´s hard to offer a fixed price because there are several factors that change the final amount from one case to another.

The first one is the geographical location. For example: a famous surgeon from Beverly Hills is considerably more expensive than another one from Pennsylvania.
Also, the treatment facility must be taken into account because a small private clinic won´t charge the same price as a hospital or a specialized eye treatment center.

Another important factor is the reputation of the surgeon and of the center. It´s obvious that a professional doctor will ask more money for the procedure than any his colleagues.

After considering all the above mentioned factors you´ll probably want to know the average price for the lasik laser eye surgery. Well, the standard rate used globally is about $2000.

But to this amount, you should add money for local taxes, surgeon´s reputation, geographical location and last but not least the doctor´s royalty fee. Either way, you should know that for most surgeons the price is pretty much the same.

If you wonder about additional costs, you should know that your doctor must quote the total amount during your first eye-consult. In addition to all that you´ll have to pay for the follow-up treatment and post-op medication if needed.

There are strong competition in the field of lasik eye surgery and that´s why many surgeons offer some form of discounts in order to remain competitive. Usually they publish the coupons on the local newspaper or on the Internet but just to be sure, when you go see the doctor for the consult you might wanna ask him about any discounts offers.

For example there are a few surgeons that offer discounts to patients that pay cash for the procedure while others offer senior citizen discounts.

Also, if you´re really looking to find a good bargain for your surgery and you don´t mind going to other cities then you should start a research on the Internet.

As I said before the geographical location is very important and if you´re lucky you can find an affordable treatment center perfect for your budget. This means that you´ll get your surgery and you´ll enjoy a very pleasant vacation in the same time.

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People who become tired of putting on spectacles or feel they look more pleasing when their not donning them may consider corrective surgery applying laser technology to reconstruct their sharp-sightedness. If you are really mooting over the alternative of laser eye surgery then you truly require getting  all of the newest and most dependable information acquirable on the issue.. Lasik sight surgery isn’t for everybody and you can quickly learn whether or not you qualify in advance by reading all of the relevant facts. They can then read about what to expect to see if they wish to carry on with the surgical process.
There are several laser eye surgery facts that also point to the success rate of the procedure. Learning what can be expected before the surgical process, during the operation and the right follow through care is an all important component of the decision-making process and the lasik eye surgery facts can help provide that information as well. One of the essential facts is that virtually all insurance policies do not compensate for the surgical procedure if it is wanted only for cosmetic purposes.

Individuals who wear contacts might have to wait while their eyeballs return to their normal form before receiving the operation, meaning they will have to wear spectacles until the day of the procedure. They might also need to keep wearing eyeglasses to adjust the sight in the one eyeball that is not righted according to the available laser eye surgery facts.

Success Rates Are In Potential Patients’ Favor

In spite of many hazards attached the probabilities for a successful surgery are better than one may guess as there are far more chronicles of successes than of failures While the risk elements are included in the laser eye operation facts, the experience and knowledge of the surgeon doing the procedure will greatly increase the chances of success.

The patient will be under local anesthetic just with a local sedative for the eyeball on which the operation is being executed. In most instances, the patient will leave the clinic the same day to set about the recuperative process and with the proper follow up maintenance, after their recovery they will be blessed with much stronger vision than they had before the procedure.

Being able to afford the operational costs might seem disheartening for some, but when the price of eye examinations and contact lenses over their life-time is looked at, the laser eye surgery facts call to attention that it can constitute a substantial cost savings o’er the years succeeding the surgery.

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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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In order to correct vision, surgeons use lasers to reshape the cornea by intervening on the tissues on the underlying or stromal layer. The medicine currently comprises two very effective types of laser eye surgery: the Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK) and the Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK).

In Photo Refractive Keratectomy, the doctor manually scrapes away the cornea and corrects the vision using an excimer laser. Unfortunately the epithelium layer will grow back in time, not to mention that the recovery period is longer than with LASIK.

On the other side, PRK procedure involves fewer risks because the surgeon doesn´t cut the cornea.

LASEK (Laser Assisted Sub-Epithelial Keratomileus) is the new and improved PRK and uses a solution with alcohol to soften the area before removing the epithelium. After the excimer laser reshapes the stroma, the surgeon replaces the epithelium. With LASEK the healing process is shorter than with PRK.

Next, LASEK developed into Epi-LASEK. The doctor preserves a living layer of the epithelium using a separator and after the vision is corrected with excimer laser, the layer is replaced. The healing process is even shorter now.

LASIK or Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis cuts the cornea flap with a microkeratome metal blade, reshapes the eye with an excimer laser and repositions the flap. This procedure corrects vision right away and the patient will only experience some blurriness during the next 24-hours.

Custom Vue LASIK is pretty much the same thing as LASIK but it uses Wavefront software. The technology used is 25% more accurate than any standard method and is used to map the optical system and to guide the laser to change the stroma.

With Custom Intra LASIKthe flap is made using a femtosecond Intralase laser. Then with the help of Wavefront guidance the excimer laser corrects the visual errors.

According to the experts this is the most advanced procedure for corneal flap creation but unfortunately it is also the most expensive one.

Learn more about lasik eye surgery as well as the common lasik eye surgery problems.

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People that were forced to wear contacts or glasses all their life can now leave these aids behind by using a new and innovative LASIK procedure called the LASIK eye surgery.

This new type of refractive eye surgery can be risky but in most cases after detailed testing and consultation the final result is a good one. If you worry about the duration of the surgery, you should know that everything lasts only a few minutes but in order to obtain good results you should be very careful about the pre and post operative appointments.

It is very important to choose a good eye surgeon and after he evaluates he´ll establish the details of the procedure. He´ll let you know if you´re a good candidate or not, he´ll explain the procedure, the complications, the risks and the final result and together you´ll set the post-op appointment.

A few weeks before the LASIK eye procedure it´s recommended that you use only glasses and no contact lens because the shape of the cornea plays the most important role during evaluation.

When the procedure starts you´ll be sitting in a chair while the doctor will put numbing drops in your eyes. After he cleans up the area around the eyes, he´ll use a machine that will keep your eye lids open.

You might feel pretty weird because our eye lids are programmed to shut but if you stay relaxed you won´t feel a thing. The lasik eye surgeon use various types of machines and that´s why the level of discomfort can vary a lot from one patient to another.

Next, you´ll have to look straight into a laser placed over your eye while the surgeon will complete the procedure.

Everything happens very fast and the discomfort will only last a few seconds. All the above mentioned details sound scary and when you think that everything happens in the eye you might reconsider but you shouldn´t. LASIK eye procedure is very safe and most candidates leave the hospital with excellent results.

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Laser eye surgery unlike other surgical procedures are normally almost a painless experience. You are awake and aware of what is going on during the procedure. The procedures itself normally takes only around 10 to 15 minutes.

Nevertheless there are still some simple do it yourself eye care treatment that you have to follow. Also there are some action that could be dangerous to your eyes that you have to avoid.

Here are 10 basic rules of what you should and should not do after the surgery.

1) First and foremost do not skip your follow up treatment with your eye doctor. Follow up appointment is very important to check up your eyes and make sure that the surgery was successful and also to detect if there is any negative side effects.

2) Use the medicated eye drops that was prescribed by your eye doctor. Follow the direction as to how often and how long you should use them.

3) If your doctor prescribed you with medication such as antibiotic or anti inflammatory, do take them according to your doctors instructions.

4) Keep your hands away from your eyes. No excessive touching or rubbing. Use your eye drops to relief your eyes from itchiness.

5) When taking a bath make sure that no soap or water will enter your eyes. Avoid swimming or bath tub shower or any other activities that expose water to your eyes.

6) Plan to look like a secret service for some time. Always keep a pair of dark sunglasses with you. You may need it at any time when you are outdoors. Your eyes are still very sensitive to sunlight and you want to avoid your eyes from Ultra Violet Light exposure. Also keep your eyes from any bright light.

7) For ladies, try not to apply any facial makeup for some time. Chemical ingredients in your makeup could irritate skin around your eyes and may lead to eye infections.

Avoid any games or activities that require rough physical contact. Your eyes still need some time to be well adjusted.

9) Make sure to wear eye goggles when you go to sleep. Your eyes need to be protected from any unintentional harm or injury while sleeping.

10) Avoid watching television, doing work on the computer or reading during the first 24 hours after the surgery. Spend more time lying down relax and close your eyes.

Normally you could be back to work within one to three days after the surgery. Again it depends on the case by case basis, since every surgery is different so does every patients.

The above recommendations are the basic precautions that everyone should take after eye laser surgery in order to avoid any complications that might occur and also for fast recovery.

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Usually if we need our vision corrected we wear graded eyeglasses or contact lenses. These would work great and oftentimes solve our vision problems. But would it be great if there is some other way to see clearer. Eyeglasses tend to be awkward to use especially when you are engaged in physical activity. On the other hand, contact lenses are very troublesome to wear. You really need to maintain it a lot and if you are not careful this might irritate your eyes. Now there is a medical procedure that could improve you vision without going through the ordeals of having eyeglasses or contact lenses; this is the Lasik Eye surgery.

Lasik (laser-assisted in situ keartomileusis) is a type of lasik eye surgery used to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.  This technique was developed in the 1950’s by Dr Jose Barraquer of Spain. He is the one who developed the first microkeratome which is used to cut thin flaps on the cornea. In 1958 Dr. Mani Lal Bhaumik and some group of scientist developed the excimer laser. These discoveries lead to the enhancement of Lasik surgery which we know today.

This procedure could both benefit near-sighted and far-sighted people. For near-sightedness the corneas are usually flatten. For far-sighted people the goal is to make the cornea contour steeper. It could also smoothen out irregular corneas, which is the case for persons with astigmatism.

Before undergoing the procedure, patients with contact lenses are advised to stop wearing them for 5 to 7 days before surgery. Doctors then will  determine the thickness of your cornea by using a pachymeter. Using a topographer, the doctors will make a topographic map of your corneas. This will enable them to see the exact shape and contour of the cornea. It is needed so the doctor could determine the exact location and amount of the corneal tissue that will be removed.

The operation is performed in a clinical setting with a patient wide awake. A patient could be given a mild sedative (like valium) or some anesthetic eye drops.

The first thing that the doctor will do is to make a flap in the cornea. A corneal ring is applied to the eye so that it will be immobilized. Once immobilized a flap is created by using a mechanical microkeratome with a metal blade. A hinge must be left at the edge of the flap so that it could be folded back; this procedure could be irritating. Once it is folded back it will reveal the middle section of the cornea which is the stroma.

The second part is where the excimer laser will cut off excess tissue of the stroma. Removal of tissue is done is microns and no heat is generated during this procedure.

Finally the flap is returned back again to its original position. The flap does not need to be sutured back into place as it will heal and adhere naturally

After all this the patient could continue back to his or her normal life with an assurance of a much clearer vision ahead.

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Implantable Contact Lenses Are An Excellent Alternative to LASIK Eye Surgery

Not everybody is an acceptable prospect for LASIK eye surgery There is however an alternative to lasik surgery.

A common alternative to LASIK surgery are Implantable Contact Lenses, also occasionally referred to as a permanent contact lens or ICl. An ICL is a soft lens that’s affixed to the eye for correcting nearsightedness. An Implanted Contact Lens is meant to be lasting, but it could be replaced if changes are called for in the future. Contrary to  LASIK eye surgery, the ICL operation is totally reversible.

In that respect there are definite advantages to ICL over LASIK. For instance, with LASIK eye surgery, permanent alterations are made to your eye and those alterations are something you will have to live with. If everything went well with the LASIK procedure then clearly there is no issue, however occasionally it does not go as hoped and as such you’re stuck with it. In complete contrast, Implantable Contact Lenses may removedt at any time if rectifications are required.

If you have previously worn contact lenses, you already live with  the bothers of normal contacts - cleaning, soaking, removing and replacing, etc. But with implantable contact lenses, all those annoying tasks immediately disappear. The implants are lasting and ought never need any tending unless your vision changes as you age. Implantable contact lenses offer the same vision improvements as normal temporary contact lenses, only they call for none of the attention and upkeep of standard contact lenses.

The ICL routine is generally executed on an outpatient basis and you will feel little or no pain. A gentle sedative is dispensed to provide a calming effect and a 1/8 inch surgical incision is created for insertion of the lens. When inserted, the lens is properly positioned. In virtually all cases, sutures are not needed to close the incision point. If you are getting the operation performed on both eyes, they will both be accomplished in a single session. The whole process is normally accomplished within about 30 minutes.

Upon completion of the ICL procedure, you will be directed to a ‘post-op’ area for recovery. When staff members ascertain that you’re stable, you will be sent off home to unwind for the rest of the day. You will need to come back the following day for a follow-up exam, just to make certain that everything is alright.

On that point may be some mild haziness upon completion of the implantation, but this typically clears itself within a brief time period. Most patients experience fast improvements in vision, with approximately 90% of normal vision restored within the first 24 hours. Usually, your vision on the second day will be good decent to allow you to drive yourself to the examination.

The primary issue of worry with implantable contact lenses is the risk of infection. Once detected it will be sorted out, so it is important to keep in touch with your medical team.

Implantable contact lenses are a sensible alternative to LASIK eye surgery for patients who have trouble with distance vision. Notwithstanding this , ICL does not help you if you require reading glasses.

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