Archive for November, 2008
Is Laser Eye Treatment right for me?
by Mathew in Laser Eye Treatment
With laser eye treatment firmly entrenched as one of the world’s most popular elective surgeries, you may be wondering if you can have the surgery to fix your own eyes. Sure, your neighbor had it done and that guy at work seems happy with it, but how can you be sure? It’s your vision, after all, so you will want to ask yourself four simple questions to determine if the procedure is right for you before you consult with your doctor.
How old am I?
A candidate for laser treatment needs to be at least 18 years of age. This is because the eye needs time to completely mature and stabilize. If you are so far over 18 that you qualify for the senior citizen discount, you have probably aged out of the procedure. Laser treatment for eyes can improve visual impairment caused by the shape of your eye, but not visual impairment caused by the age of your eye.
Is my eye prescription stable?
Most reputable doctors insist that your eye prescription must have been unchanged for at least one year prior to considering surgery. Others insist on a stable prescription for the three years leading up to surgery. If your prescription is still changing every year, then you will have to wait until it stabilizes before doing a laser treatment.
Am I healthy enough for this surgery?
This question can refer to your overall health, and to specific ocular health issues that could impact the effectiveness of the surgery. With regards to your general health, if you have any autoimmune disorders you will need to have a thorough conversation with your doctor as your increased risk of infection may ruin the surgery for you. If you have diabetes you may also be disqualified from surgery. The surgery is also not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing.
Specific ocular health concerns also need to be taken into account. If you have corneal scarring, a history of eye infections or chronic dry eye, you may be ineligible for surgery or risk poor outcomes. Also, if your pupils are very large, you may not get good results from laser eye treatment.
What am I expecting?
This is a hard and brutally honest conversation that you need to have with yourself prior to any laser eye treatments. The reason for this is simple. The #1 reason for patient dissatisfaction after surgery was unrealistic expectations.
Surgery isn’t going to fix all of your problems. Improving your vision may make you feel more attractive, confident and intelligent. It won’t win back your ex, make you a better athlete or get you that promotion at work. Also, surgery will not instantly give you the “Superman Vision” that some patients expect.
However, surgery will improve your vision to 20/40 or better in 95% of cases, and to 20/20 or better in 65% of cases. You may be able to get rid of your glasses entirely, or switch to light glasses used just for reading and fine or intricate projects. Regular visits to the eye doctor will also ensure you continue to preserve and protect your vision.
Choosing the Best Laser Eye Clinic
by Mathew in Laser Eye Treatment
If you want to undergo laser eye treatment to finally lose those glasses forever, there are some things you need to do first. Choosing the right laser eye clinic or surgeon is one of the most important steps when you’re deciding to undergo laser eye treatment.
When finding a laser treatment clinic for your eye surgery, be sure to comparison shop to find the best price. However, because it is a medical procedure, don’t just choose the doctor with the lowest price. Do not compromise on the quality of the doctor to save a few dollars; you will risk permanently damaging your eyesight by choosing a less-than-reputable surgeon to use a laser beam on your eyes. Make sure you choose a reputable laser eye clinic to entrust with your vision.
As with choosing any medical professional, be sure that you are comfortable with both their expertise and their demeanor before continuing. Ask for references of past patients, and find a friendly and helpful doctor who will walk you through the process and give you personal attention. Be sure to ask lots of questions about the surgery, and make sure you are comfortable with his answers before proceeding. Find a surgeon who is not only knowledgeable about the procedure, but also happy to share his information with you. He should ensure that you understand the information, including the risks before going through with the treatment. Be wary of any surgeon that seems over-eager to go ahead with the treatment without making sure you are well prepared for it.
Don’t overlook the nurses when choosing a surgeon to work with. Because the doctor will not be caring for you personally for the entire time you are in his office, meet the nurses before making your decision. Most of your pre- and post-operation time at the laser eye center will be spent with the nurses, so make sure they are friendly and helpful.
Before the surgery is scheduled, your surgeon will bring you in for a consultation. He will review your medical history and perform an eye exam. Beware of doctors who seem willing to perform laser eye treatment on everyone to come through the door; the procedure is not right for every situation. The surgeon you choose should perform a thorough check to make sure that you are a good candidate for laser eye treatment.
If you do your research to find a great clinic and follow your doctor’s orders with care, it is very likely that you will get impressive results from laser eye treatment.
The Different Laser Treatments For Eyes
by Mathew in Laser Eye Treatment
Many people assume that LASIK and laser eye treatment mean the same thing. In fact, LASIK is just one technique for laser eye treatment. There are new methods being developed every year, making laser eye treatment even more accurate. The one you choose should be based on your specific eye condition, as well as personal preference. These surgery options are very sophisticated, so you should understand your eye correction prescription before choosing one. Here are a few of the most commonly used methods:
- LASIK - This is the most commonly used procedure for people who are nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism. A small incision is made in the corner of the eye, creating a flap. Then, a computer-guided laser beam is used on the cornea underneath the flap. This precise reshaping of the cornea is what changes the patient’s vision. At the end of the surgery, the flap is simply repositioned over the eye. Healing time is just a few days.
- LASEK - LASEK involves the lifting of the outer layer of your eye with a fine blade. Then, alcohol is used to loosen the tissue. Finally, the laser is used underneath it, on the cornea, just as it is used in LASIK. This option offers a very fast recovery time, usually within a day or two.
- Zyoptix - A very new procedure, this technique can be used for many eye conditions. The laser works more quickly, allowing the surgeon to be more accurate when reshaping your cornea. This can produce better vision results.
- PRK - Photorefractive keratectomy is one of the oldest procedures, and it is not as commonly used today. With PRK, the outer surface of the eye is removed using a laser. This procedure works best on people with mild or moderate eye conditions. On the downside, the recovery time is more gradual than with newer method, and it can take several months for your eyes to fully heal.
There are several other options as well, which are used to correct specific eye issues. All of these methods involve the reshaping of the cornea to change the vision. They differ in how the cornea is accessed by the surgeon, as well as how the cornea is reshaped. Discuss all of the possible options with your laser eye surgeon before deciding on a method for your laser eye treatment. A good surgeon will explain all of the options to you and help you choose the best one for your situation.
How Does Laser Eye Treatment Work?
by Mathew in Laser Eye Treatment
Laser eye treatment offers many benefits to patients and is wildly popular as an elective surgery. Yet for all its popularity, the surgery is not always well understood. As you should never agree to a procedure that you don’t fully understand, this article will review the basic mechanics of laser treatment for eyes.
The key thing to keep in mind is that there are two factors that impact your vision. The first factor is the shape of your eye. The second factor is your age. Laser eye treatments address the first of these two factors. No cure has yet been found for the second, but doctors are working on it!
How does it work?
Laser surgery focuses on improving vision by reshaping the eye. The reshaping is accomplished by targeting a specific portion of the eye, as reshaping the whole eye would be too complex. The cornea of the eye is the element that is reshaped by surgery.
According to the University of Wisconsin Medical Center, the cornea is responsible for 65% of the eye’s refractive power. In layman’s terms, that means the cornea handles the bulk of the light bending that is needed to give you a clear picture of the world. Even small changes in the shape and texture of the cornea can have a major impact on your focus and vision.
What Happens During the Procedure?
During a laser eye treatment, trained doctors use a specially designed blade to cut a small flap to access the cornea. They lift this flap and then use a specially designed laser to work on the cornea of your eye to create a new shape that will give you better vision. Then they replace the flap, smooth it into place over the reshaped area, and set it to heal.
The whole process will be mapped out before any cutting takes place using a measured picture of your eye. It is an incredibly precise topographic map, like a 3-D model of a landscape, only better. Doctors measure changes that need to be made not in inches or millimeters but in micrometers! The tiny, tiny levels of change needed to improve your focus are dependent on the shape, age and health of your eye, and also why occasionally some treatments need to be touched up later. Everyone heals differently and sometimes quarters and halves of micrometers will make the difference.
The tiny measurements are also why the lasers used in the surgery are constantly remapping the position of your eye. The most commonly used surgical laser for eye treatments, the Excimer laser, remaps your eye position up to 4,000 times per second during surgery. The speed of the laser and the small operating area means that the total surgery time may be less than 30 minutes.
What Takes Place After Surgery?
After your laser eye treatment, you will be given antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drops for your eyes. Some patients even wear special medicated contact lenses for a few weeks after the surgery. Most people heal completely within just a few weeks and go on to enjoy a lifetime of good vision as a result of their choice to have laser eye treatments.
Introducing Laser Eye Treatment
by Mathew in Laser Eye Treatment
Laser eye treatment is one of the most popular elective surgeries in the world. More than 1 million Americans have the surgery done each year. The procedure goes by a number of brand names, but in all cases the shape of the eye is altered by a laser to improve vision clarity. Created over 30 years ago, the treatment continues to develop and bring greater benefits to patients.
There are three distinct advantages to having a laser treatment for eyes performed. They are financial savings, medical and psychological benefits, and enhanced personal perception. Many people who have their eyes done focus on just one of these advantages as the core reason for their surgery, but it is important to understand the impact of each benefit on your life.
1. Financial Savings
Laser eye treatments are actually very affordable and cost effective surgeries. They should be thought of as investments. For most people, this investment will be paid back in 10 years or less, depending on the level of correction they experience after the surgery.
If this seems surprising, just run the numbers. Market Scope, the leading vision industry data cruncher, pegged the average cost of surgery at $1350 per eye in 2008. Many consumers are able to have both eyes done for $3,000 or less. As a result, they are able to switch to less expensive, lower prescription contacts and glasses, or usually throw away their corrective eyewear altogether.
The average pair of glasses costs $200, and most Americans have 2 or 3 pairs at home. Bifocals or designer frames can run the cost up to $500 or more per pair. Basic daily disposable contacts prescriptions cost $250 per year, while contacts for astigmatism or monovision cost $450 yearly. Add in the cost of contact solutions, cleaners, and drops over the course of a lifetime, and treatment becomes an obvious choice for the cost-conscious consumer.
2. Medical/Psychological Benefits
There are many medical and psychological benefits to having your eyes done. They range from minor medical issues like relief from irritating contacts to major psychological issues like obsessive-compulsive behavior relative to eye health. Depending on your personal situation, the medical and psychological benefits will outweigh even the most substantial of cost savings.
One of the most cited benefits is headache relief. Many people who need vision correction do not realize the extent to which their sight impacts the level and severity of their headaches. Squinting at computer screens or fine print can cause headaches, as can the neck strain and poor posture that result from leaning in for a better view all day long. Laser eye treatment can relieve these symptoms and reduce recurrent or chronic pain.
3. Personal Perception
Finally, it is also important to consider the personal perception benefits that accrue from laser eye treatments. Getting rid of the need for vision correction allows you to throw away glasses that you find unattractive, burdensome or aging. Many patients report feeling more confident and attractive after the surgery as a result of being able to trade in their “Coke-bottle” glasses for lighter frames or get rid of their glasses altogether.
Other patients talk about their increased self-esteem. Identifying a problem in your life and taking the steps necessary to fix it can be very personally empowering. Every time you share the story of your surgery, you get to relive that positive choice and feel better about your own personal capabilities.
Looking at these advantages, it is no mystery why so many people choose to have laser eye treatment each year. There is no other surgery that offers such financial, medical and personal benefits. Understanding each benefit, it is easy to see the change that is possible thanks to this one simple procedure.