LASIK is a procedure that was invented in the late 1990s to ease the suffering of contact wearers. It replaced the much riskier procedure of radial keratotomy. Still, there are still side effects to this new procedure, and all surgeries pose risks. Anyone contemplating this procedure should be aware of its potential hazards.
The word LASIK is a shortening of “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis.” WIth a high-intensity laser, the cornea of the eye is reshaped. In near-sighted people, it is flattened; in farsighted people, steepened. This helps light to focus better on the retina. Usually lasting only five minutes, the procedure is short. Both eyes can be corrected at the same time, or a patient can spread out the procedure over time.
Immediately after surgery, all patients see blurry. Someone else must drive you home. Other immediate symptoms include light sensitivity and eye irritation. Even tearing of the eye is possible. However, many of these symptoms are normal.
It is important for the eye to heal. Many doctors prohibit strenuous exercise for over a week. Rest is extremely important, almost as important as the surgery itself, so patients must be willing to make time in their lives for that. Swimming is prohibited. Touching or rubbing the eye can lead to the cornea becoming displaced, and the entire surgery being undone or even leading to further damage. Even wearing makeup is discouraged. The short-term effects of the surgery only last a few weeks. The long-term risks are more disappointing and dangerous.
There is no guarantee that a patient will achieve 20/20 vision, and many have to continue to wear corrective lenses. Some people even experience a gradual decline in vision after it has been improved, and surgery is required to fix this problem. This symptom, known as regression, is rare.
Other post-operative complications include infection. Patients must take antibiotics after surgery, but rarely, and devastatingly, infection can occur. It must be treated or it can lead to a scarred cornea or even the loss of the eye. Although corneal transplants are possible, an infection is extremely painful.
A more common long-term side-effect of the surgery may be night glare. This symptom occurs when one looks into lights and sees spots or halos. It can have a debilitative effect on night driving. The FDA even warns that LASIK patients may be lose their ability to drive at night completely.
Many patients wish the procedure to be a cure for losing vision due to old age. However, such age-related loss will not be cured by LASIK. Presbyopia, or the inability to see near things after a certain age, is not curable through LASIK. However, other procedures are being studied to combat the condition.
Many people believe there have not been enough studies on LASIK and its long-term risks. In late 2009, a study was initiated to survey the national population of patients to determine how their quality of life has changed. This study is funded by the FDA, the U. S. Department of Defense, and the National Eye Institute (NEI). By 2012, the study should be complete. Many patients do not wish to wait this long, but should be aware that all the risks of the surgery are not yet known.
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Tags: eye care, glasses, laser eye surgery, LASIK, vision