Every now and then you will see an advert about LASIK that promises to rid you of your glasses or contacts, but how sure can you be you are not gambling with your eyes?
How informed are you about the alternative options available for your problem ( PRK, Advanced Surface Ablation also known as ASA, etc?).
WebMD Health professional Bill Lloyd MD, helps you wade through the hype. He is a board-certified ophthalmologist qualified to perform laser refractive surgery and has spent more than 2 decades practicing and teaching medicine. Lloyd outlines ten important things to know before considering LASIK surgery.
1. Know Yourself — Why do you really want to have this surgery? You will live with its results forever, so don’t be caught up in a fad. There are no guarantees. Many LASIK patients are still wearing glasses!
2. Know Your Surgeon — Look for an experienced ophthalmologist. Ask direct questions regarding your surgeon’s experience and complication rate. Will your surgeon continue to take care of you after the surgery, or will you be redirected to a non-physician?
3. Know Your Refractive Error — The more nearsighted (myopic) you are, the more likely you may need a repeat procedure (euphemistically called “refinements”). Ask your doctor what the chances are that you’ll need a refinement.
4. Know if You Are Eligible — LASIK is not for everyone. People with severe dry eyes, certain corneal diseases, and other select eye conditions should not undergo LASIK.
5. Know What Happens — Be sure you fully understand the entire procedure. Since you will be awake for the surgery, you don’t want any surprises.
6. Know the Odds — After laser refractive surgery, most patients enjoy improved (not necessarily perfect) vision without their old glasses. Nobody guarantees 20/20, 20/25, or 20/30 vision. If you hear such claims, consider looking elsewhere.
7. Know the Risks — Laser refractive surgery is surgery. There is no such thing as “minor eye surgery.” Complications such as overcorrection, undercorrection, making the pupil off center, damaging the cornea, inflammation, and infection can leave you miserable. You may hear statistics about 2% or 5% complications, but if it happens to you, it’s 100%!
8. Know the Limitations — LASIK is used to help correct nearsightedness and astigmatism. Laser refractive surgery will not prevent you from needing reading glasses as you approach middle age. There may be future advancement but LASIK patients may need help to read later in life just like their parents did. Although many with mild nearsightedness generally experience a good result, it seems good results are less certain with more severe nearsightedness.
9. Know Your Postsurgical Care — Be sure both you and your partner understand the postoperative eye-drop routine. Since these medications influence corneal healing, your final visual outcome will depend heavily on the correct use of your eye drops. Make sure you find out what kind of care you will receive after the surgery and how often your doctor will want to see you. Be sure to ask about any limitations you may have after surgery, such as sports or makeup.
10. Know About Alternative — Alphabet soup! LASIK, LASEK, PRK, INTACS, and many more. Don’t hesitate to ask your surgeon, “Is this the very best way to treat my situation? Are there other methods?” Experienced eye surgeons typically know three or four ways to manage the same patient.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/
