subject: Everything You Need To Know About Lasik [print this page] You've heard all of the wonderful stories about LASIK, and how it can rid you of the burden of glasses and contacts for the rest of you life. But now that you are considering having laser eye surgery yourself, it's important to make sure that you know everything there is to know about LASIK.
For example, not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. Before you do anything else, talk to an experienced eye surgeon to find out if you qualify for LASIK. Unfortunately, some individuals have eye conditions that cannot be cured through laser eye surgery. Only an experienced eye surgeon will give you a thorough eye examination to determine if you are able to undergo LASIK eye surgery. Additionally, you will not be able to qualify for LASIK if you are pregnant, under 18 years of age, diabetic, on certain medications, or if you have been diagnosed with certain diseases.
LASIK eye surgery is normally used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It does not help with a common eye condition known as presbyopia. The surgical tool used in LASIK isn't a tool at all; it's actually a laser beam. Using what's called an excimer laser, eye surgeons penetrate a microscopic depth into the cornea and burn up any damaged tissue. Excimer lasers are incredibly precise, and therefore produce a high success rate. Eye surgeons are trained specifically on excimer lasers before they conduct any LASIK eye surgeries. The technology of LASIK eye surgery is constantly evolving. In addition to the use of the excimer laser, there's also Wavefront technology. Wavefront technology was created to detect certain vision problems that can be addressed on an individual basis. In other words, it customizes the type of vision correction procedure you receive. This helps eye surgeons determine where to direct the excimer laser, so that the results are as precise as possible.
LASIK is relatively quick and painless. In fact, you don't have to stay overnight in the hospital to have it done because no anesthesia is used. You can simply go to an eye doctor and have it performed at his/her office without any complications. Your vision will begin to improve in as little as an hour after surgery, and you should be able to see clearly by the next day. Most eye surgeons require follow-up visits so that they can check the progress of your eyes to make sure that they are healing properly without any problems. There is no guarantee that LASIK will provide you with 20/20 vision. But you should be able to see better after surgery than you did before.
If you are considering getting LASIK eye surgery, make sure that you do enough research beforehand. As with any surgery, it's important to know everything you need to know including certain risks, standard results, and recovery time. Once you have all of the information you need, you can decide whether or not LASIK is right for you.
