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Eye Surgery: LASIK Surgery, EPI-Lasik and ALK

Vision correction using eye surgery has become quite common in the past few years with more and more people opting to undergo the procedure in order to reduce or eliminate the need for wearing glasses or contact lenses.

Others may require eye surgery for other problems including cataracts and glaucoma.

Refractive Surgical Procedures

Refractive surgical procedures are available which correct certain eye problems by changing the focus of the eye.

LASIK Surgery

Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis or LASIK surgery is a procedure that is used to permanently change the shape of the cornea of the eye. It is one of the more popular methods available today. Read more>>>

Epi-LASIK

Epithelial Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (Epi-LASIK) is a procedure that separates the thin top layer of the cornea. It has an advantage over LASIK surgery in that there are no sharp blades involved. Read more>>>

ALK

Automated Lamellar Keratoplasty (ALK) is a procedure used to correct myopia.

PRK

Photorefractive Keractectomy (PRK) is a procedure which involves removing tissue from the eyes using an beam of light.

Cataract

Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens from the eye. The procedure involves a micro incision and the insertion of an intraocular lens implant. Read more>>>

Glaucoma

The surgical treatment for glaucoma can involve laser or regular surgical techniques which involves making a cut in the eye to relieve the intraocular pressure. Read more>>>

How to Choose a LASIK Surgeon

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For people who wear corrective lenses, Lasik surgery seems like a dream come true, allowing them to exchange uncomfortable and expensive eyeglasses or contact lenses for perfect, unaided vision. However, with the wrong surgeon, Lasik surgery can quickly become a nightmare. Your vision can be permanently damaged without the hope of correction, or even lost altogether. We’ll show you how to choose a Lasik surgeon to ensure that your operation is a success.

Step One: Collect Recommendations

Ask friends, family members, and acquaintances whether they have had Lasik surgery themselves, or if they know anyone who has. Find out where they had the surgery done, and how pleased they were with the experience. Personal recommendations are a far better starting point than the Yellow Pages!

Step Two: Check Experience

Once you have a list of potential doctors from your acquaintances, research them thoroughly to narrow down your list. You want a surgeon who has performed a large number of successful Lasik operations – a thousand or more is a good place to start. You should also check your surgeon’s education, how long he or she has been in practice, and whether Lasik surgery is a prime focus of that practice. Do a Google search to find out if any warnings or glowing recommendations have been posted online.

Step Three: Meet with the Doctor

Your gut instinct tells you a lot about a person. Meeting with your short list of doctors will help you find one that makes you comfortable and who seems professional and capable. Make sure that the surgeon you pick answers all of your questions and does not make you feel pressured or dismissed. Also ensure that the surgeon you meet is the one who will actually perform your operation from beginning to end.

It is much more important to find a competent, proactive, and experienced Lasik surgeon than to find one that is close to your home or has the lowest rates. By following these three simple steps, you can vastly improve your chances of having a successful, problem-free operation and do away with your glasses or contact lenses forever.

Understanding LASIK Surgery

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Although the term LASIK eye surgery is becoming more commonplace many people aren’t aware of what the surgery actually entails. The LASIK acronym stands for Laser assisted in-Situ Keratomileusis and is sometimes referred to as “flap and zap” becauses the surgeon makes a small flap in the cornea and removes some of the tissue exposed by the flap. The laser removes tissue from the cornea very accurately without damaging nearby tissues. This type of eye surgery is used for correcting nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism.

The procedure should be performed by a certified LASIK ophthalmologist. The LASIK eye surgery is a replacement for a somewhat outdated eye surgery known as PPK. LASIK is preferred to the PPK because it allow for a much faster recovery time and the patient does not experience nearly as much pain as they did with the PPK. Though the LASIK procedure is relatively new, having been introduced in 1990, it is immensely popular and more and more patients are seeking the treatment as it becomes more affordable.

Prior to surgery a patient will need to meet with their eye doctor to discuss whether or not they are a candidate for the surgery through an examination with a computer controlled scanner that determines what the current shape of the cornea. This examination will also allow the doctor to obtain information in relation to irregularities in the eye, whether the patient is near sighted, far sighted, or has astigmatism. If the doctor believes the patient is a candidate he or she will instruct the patient to stop wearing their contact lenses 7-10 days before the procedure. Most doctors will also prescribe an antibiotic to help avoid infection after the surgery.

The actual LASIK procedure takes place when the patient is awake but sedated with a mild sedative such as Valium as well as anesthetic eye drops. A highly sophisticated computer system will then track the position of the eye about 4,000 times per second so that the surgeon can make precise incisions.

A flap will be cut into the cornea with a microkeratome or a femtosecond laser with a hinge left on one end of the flap. This flap is then folded back to expose the stroma, which is the middle section of the cornea. Once the stroma is revealed a laser will reshape the stroma to provide better vision.

Recovery time is just a couple of days and there will be very little pain or discomfort associated with the procedure. Most do not experience any complications, but those that do occur are usually very benign in nature, making LASIK a relatively safe and the most effective corneal surgery available today.