Every human needs an excellent vision to see the beautiful world. Healthy eyesight is essential for a peaceful life. Common eye issues lead to sight problems, and the patient cannot see things correctly. Glasses and contact lenses are common ways to deal with problems. But then they also have some limitations. Here eye surgery like LASIK helps you to sort those common visual problems. LASIK is one of the great options to avoid glasses and contacts, because they need care and maintenance. Also, sometimes they cause discomfort to us.
What Is LASIK?
LASIK is a surgical manner to deal with common eyesight problems. The LASIK surgeon performs eye surgery to correct refractive eyesight issues. It refers to Laser-assisted in situ keratomileuses.
Usually, the cornea and eye’s lens bend the light signaling our brain to form images. With a misshape in the cornea, there is a refraction error, and as a result, we cannot see things correctly. LASIK surgery is about correcting the cornea shape so that the light hits the retina perfectly.
After this surgery, you will get 20/20 and 20/40 vision which is said to be healthy for all.
What Conditions Can We Treat With LASIK Eye Surgery?
It is one of the common eye surgeries to treat eyesight conditions like,
- Nearsightedness: Difficulty In Seeing Distant Objects
- Farsightedness: Difficulty In Seeing Things Nearby
- Astigmatism: Blurred Vision
Your eye surgeon will simply reshape your cornea during the procedure. The procedure is LASER assisted; therefore, it takes less time than usual.
Before Surgery
This eye surgery is not an overnight decision. Your eye specialist first checks your eyes and then only recommends you go for the surgery. Before the surgery, the ophthalmologist will first check your pupil size, and He will also measure your cornea thickness.
Next, he will determine dry eyes by measuring the quality and quantity of tears your eyes can make. Then he will go to measure the refractive error. He will also make some tests to determine the duration of changes in your vision. He will ask you some questions to ensure your eyes are healthy. Also, he will decide whether you have some other issues.
Make sure you do not wear contact lenses when you see the doctor. It will help the doctor take accurate measurements of the cornea. He will tell you to shift to glasses for some days before surgery.
You cannot wear makeup or any cosmetics 24 hours before surgery. Make sure you contact your friend to accompany you during and after surgery.
During Surgery
You will be awake during the procedure. The LASIK surgeon will put some drops into your eyes to make them numb. The surgery is a Laser type of surgery, and therefore it is not painful.
First, he will place an eyelid holder on your eyes, preventing them from blinking. Then with the help of a laser machine that has measurements of your cornea, he will reshape your cornea. Finally, he will fold the cornea flap and rest for two to three minutes.
You might feel uncomfortable imagining the laser machine touching your eyes. But it is one of the safest procedures, and we can see side effects in rare cases.
After Surgery
You may feel minor discomfort after surgery, and your eyes may itch or burn. But that is normal. Dry eyes are one of the common side affects you may experience after surgery. Don’t worry; the doctor will prescribe drops to overcome the discomfort. He may also prescribe you some antibiotics to get relief from the discomfort. After surgery, they will give you a shield across your eyes to avoid touch. You may not touch your eye during the day. But at night, you may unknowingly do that during sleep. Your doctor will tell you to prevent touching the cornea.
Surgery comes with some risk factors. Even though this surgery is safe and painless, it has some potential complications post-surgery.
You may experience red eyes after the eye surgery. You may have blurry vision for some time after the surgery. If it happens for a long time, contact the LASIK surgeon immediately. You may experience an eye infection after the surgery. To avoid this, contact the doctor and take all the antibiotics your doctor gives you. In sporadic cases, you may experience sensitivity towards light. And there are minimal cases where patients go blind after the surgery.
It is a matter of eyes. So make sure you visit an experienced doctor to ensure safety. Also, share details about your health before you undergo surgery.
