Month: November 2021

Laser Treatment

LASIK vs. Other Types of Laser Treatment for the Eyes

There are different types of LASIK treatment for patients with refractive error in their eyes. The goal is to achieve perfect vision without the need for glasses or contact lenses. Meanwhile, all the LASIK procedures are performed with the excimer laser, a particular type of laser. By implication, all eye surgeries that use the LASIK procedures are similar. But the difference comes when we use other types of laser apart from the excimer. 

The different laser manufacturers include Visx, Alcon, Wavelight, Bausch & Lomb, and Nidek. Meanwhile, other types of laser ablations are involved with LASIK treatment for the eyes. Examples include Conventional Laser, wavefront-optimized therapy, and wavefront-guided treatments. 

This article will describe these laser ablation types and some of the other kinds of refractive surgery LASIK you can find.

Significant Types of Laser Ablations

Conventional vs Custom Lasik

The Conventional LASIK

The conventional LASIK procedure is an ablation pattern that most lasers used to treat refractive errors managed with glasses. Therefore, the procedure requires the glasses prescription with all its fixed treatment parameters. In addition, it may also be patient-specific and can be very effective for most patients. However, the risk of this process is that it can result in some visual aberrations like halos, glare, and night vision. 

Wavefront-optimized LASIK

The wavefront-optimized LASIK procedure is the type of laser eye surgery where the wavelength laser is applicable. This type of treatment also depends on the patient’s glasses prescription. In addition to the medication, it also considers the corneal curvature and thickness. The method is to apply laser energy to the reshaping of the periphery of the cornea. This laser ablation is effective in reducing any complications that may arise in the process. Moreover, these ablations can occur alongside the conventional laser treatment. To read about the Risks and Checklist of having a LASIK Eye Surgery visit http://visionsoutdoor.net/risks-and-checklist-of-having-a-lasik-eye-surgery/

Wavefront-guided LASIK

Lasik wavefront guided - YouTube

The wavefront-guided LASIK eye surgery is also referred to as the custom LASIK or simply as wavefront LASIK. This method is similar to what you have in the conventional LASIK. However, it treats the patient’s fundamental refractive error and alters the eye by treating any high-order aberrations. 

Furthermore, there can also be some unique mapping of the eye organ in the wavefront-guided LASIK procedure. This mapping usually takes place before the surgery. It helps identify all irregularities within the patient’s entire optical system. However, in the case of severe abnormalities, they can also affect the quality of the vision the patient sees.

Other pieces of evidence of an irregular optical system include contrast sensitivity and night vision. Moreover, a wavefront-guided LASIK is applicable when a more significant irregularity is evident in the patient through mapping. At the same time, the treatment depends on the generated wavefront map. 

Other types of Refractive Eye Surgery 

Apart from the eye surgery that involves using the LASIK procedure, other types of refractive surgery may apply to specific patients. In other words, LASIK surgery does not apply to every patient, particularly those older than 40. So, if the initial or preliminary tests reveal that the LASIK procedure is not appropriate, then the patient can enroll for any of the other refractive eye surgeries below;

Advanced surface ablation

LASIK is not the only procedure that uses the excimer laser tool to reshape a patient’s cornea. There are other methods and techniques without the creation of a corneal flap. Any technique that approaches eye surgery this way is referred to as an advanced surface ablation (ASA). An example is photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK). 

Kansas City's Advanced Surface Ablation and PRK | Durrie Vision

Another one is the epiploic laser in situ keratomileuses (Epi-LASIK). Moreover, all these techniques involve removing the central part of the superficial corneal layer, the epithelium. Afterward, the surgeon then performs an excimer laser ablation on the eyes. 

However, if a patient has extreme myopia, neither LASIK nor an advanced surface ablation is advisable. Instead, an aphakic interocular lens should be applied. In this case, the process involves implanting a lens inside the eye. And it can effectively deal with nearsightedness to a degree of -20 diopters. 

Conductive keratoplasty

Eye Lance

The conductive keratoplasty (CK) is the technique applicable for a temporary correction of hyperopia (farsightedness) or presbyopia. The CK process also requires radiofrequency waves in the cornea peripheral that can cause it to shrink and steepen at the center. In addition, conductive keratoplasty is also a very safe procedure, only that it may not have a very long-lasting effect. And many times, there may be cases of regression after some years. 

Intracorneal ring segments

Intracorneal Ring Segments: Background, History of the Procedure, Indications

According to Addition Technology, Inc., Intacs are the approved methods for the correction of low myopia or shortsightedness for patients. Moreover, it is beneficial for patients who also have keratoconus. The process involves the use of some micro-thin plastic segments by planting them into the peripheral cornea. In addition, the purpose of this insertion is to flatten the cornea centrally after the insertion. 

At the same time, after the insertion of the segments, it is not likely that the patient will feel the rings. After then, the surgeon may remove the rings while the effect is completely reversible. Meanwhile, it can also correct shortsightedness to a degree of up to -3 diopters. Besides, it can also enhance visual recovery slowly with a less predictable outcome than LASIK.

Is the LASIK Eye Surgery for You?

No doubt, refractive eye surgery using the LASIK procedure is not for everyone. Before enrolling in the procedure, there is a need to undergo a complete eye examination. This step is necessary to ascertain the need for any eye surgery in the first place. The cross-examination will also require an expert surgeon to do all the steps required in the future.

Conclusion

On a final note, LASIK eye surgery is a fantastic procedure that can produce outstanding results. Moreover, there may be other eye treatment types that are more suitable for any patient other than LASIK. In other words, it is not just about the cost or the eventual result of the LASIK eye surgery. But the first step of determining if you should go for it or consider other options that may be more suitable for you in person. 

by Jacob Blakeley
Eye Lasik

Risks and Checklist of having a LASIK Eye Surgery

It is hard to find fault with the LASIK procedure. But as good and efficient as we have seen the process, it is not without specific measures of risks that a patient needs to be aware of. On the good part, eye surgery involving an excimer laser for LASIK results in a highly satisfying feeling for the patient as they get a perfect vision afterward. 

However, as you would expect from any surgical procedure, the LASIK procedure also has its peculiar factors worth considering before settling for it. Meanwhile, the presence of these risks is an excellent way to prove that you need a professional eye doctor to carry out the eye surgery LASIK to get the best result. Personal Eye Company in Australia boasts of an experienced team of eye doctors to give the most efficient eye surgery through LASIK in Australia. 

Furthermore, understanding the involved risks in LASIK is an excellent way to ascertain if the LASIK surgery is actually for you. Otherwise, the potential for complications can outweigh your care for the eyes to have a perfect vision. All these steps are necessary before you even proceed with the surgery. Let us carefully follow the possible risks that are involved with LASIK surgery.

Risks of LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK may lead to either overcorrection or under-correction

The risk of many patients that undergo eye surgery through LASIK to fall under any of the two extremes is likely. The single treatment of the vision on the cornea may suffer some overwork by the surgeon. On the other hand, the patient may experience less quality vision, which implies a second LASIK surgery. In any case, the second surgery is often referred to as an enhancement. And the reason is that it is not an entire process but only an extra.

Meanwhile, the process of sharpening the vision of patients who have an extreme prescription comes at high risk for an enhancement. After the first surgery, you may have to wait for many months if there is a need to enhance after the initial surgery. The waiting period is the time that your eyes need to heal sufficiently after the procedure. 

On the other hand, you can get more stabilization if you are still on a prescribed eyeglass. In rare cases, the possibility of an enhancement depends on the thickness or thinness of your cornea. Another property of the cornea depends on the shape of the surgery. 

Some patients still need glasses and contact lenses even after LASIK surgery

What to do After Lasik Eye Surgery Procedures - IQ Laser Vision

I know you have read a lot of beautiful things about LASIK eye surgery being able to remove any user for glasses or lenses efficiently. However, you should note here that there is an extreme case where the LASIK patient may also need to keep using the pair of glasses or the contact lens even after the eye surgery. Therefore, to prevent this possibility, discuss it with your surgeon.

The doctor is in the best position to tell the exact condition of your eyes through a professional examination. Moreover, suppose the two eyes are correct for a reasonable distance vision or focus more on short-distance vision. In that case, other factors may still contribute to the eventual efficiency of the procedure. Apart from the sickness, the eye defect may also be due to aging. In this case, undergoing LASIK may not be advisable because it may not correct it. 

Your LASIK results may not be permanent

All you hear about LASIK eye surgery being a permanent treatment is accurate and subject to certain conditions. No doubt, the results of the LASIK process are permanent cause change for the better. But we cannot still rule out the fact that some patients may not have a permanent result just yet in some extreme cases. Many times, this fluctuation may be due to regression of their desired treatment effect.

When the patient slips back into the first default state, it is evidence of having suffered from farsightedness. You may eventually find such extreme cases in patients who are suffering from hyperopia or farsightedness. However, if the glass you have is simply a reading glass, you don’t have many things to worry about. And as a result, the patient may not get LASIK to read and interpret anymore if there is an error in the refractive evaluation.  Visit http://visionsoutdoor.net/lasik-vs-other-types-of-laser-treatment-for-the-eyes/ to read about LASIK vs. Other Types of Laser Treatment for the Eyes.

Visual aberrations in low light 

Another critical risk that one can nearly fall for is that you may still experience some visual aberrations after your LASIK. For example, a patient can experience anisometropia, which is caused by the difference in refractive power between the two eyes. Another similar aberration is aniseikonia, which is the difference in the image size between the two eyes. 

Although in extreme cases, the patient may also experience shadows, glare, hazy vision, double vision, or even fluctuating vision. It can help if you were sure that the doctor explained what you needed. Meanwhile, note that the weaknesses or risks we mentioned in this article are not exclusive and therefore highly unusual. So, the signs may still linger even after the surgery has been completed, which is why you need a professional company to analyze your eyes. learn more about hazy vision by clicking here.

Higher Order Aberrations after LASIK - LASIKComplications.com

Symptoms of Dry eyes may continue

You may have always been directed to keep your eyes moist, which is extremely important. But more importantly, what if, after your surgery, you begin to experience dry eyes that persist for a long time. If and when due, it can become very frustrating to struggle to keep your eyes wet. Meanwhile, a simple tip is that a thin layer of the cornea may imply that it is not possible to undergo the LASIK process in the first place. 

Even though some patients may naturally have dry eyes before the surgery, the case may worsen after the process. In addition to the dryness, a patient may even experience some redness, burning sensation, and decreased vision. Moreover, this pattern may not be a pervasive edition.

Dry Eyes After LASIK: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Conclusion

On a final note on the risks that LASIK involves, you should see the top 5 risks above. Moreover, it would help to find the right doctor in Australia who has enough experience and appropriate rating. Hopefully, you can all the help you need from this page.                                                                                                                                                                 

by Jacob Blakeley