Laser eye surgery has been used increasingly over the last decade for correction of certain eye defects. It has caught the fancy of people, but it affects different people differently. Before deciding to go for laser eye surgery, you should consider all aspects of it, both positive and negative.

Laser Eye Surgery and You

Laser eye surgery corrects vision problems, such as Myopia (nearsightedness), where you can see things that are near, but not objects that are far; Hyperopia (farsightedness), where you see objects that are far, but not those that are near; and Astigmatism, where irregularities in the cornea distort images on the retina of the eye. The laser surgery procedure negates the need for, or reduces the dependency on, glasses and contact lenses to correct vision.

There are two basic types of laser eye surgeries – LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis), and PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). People are increasingly opting for LASIK as it is less painful and has a short recovery time. There is a third type of laser eye surgery – LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis), which combines the positives of both LASIK and PRK. Unlike LASIK and PRK, there is no cutting of the eye, but an epitheal flap is created by a 20% alcohol solution.

Laser eye surgery cures your eye by improving your Myopia, Hyperopia, or Astigmatism. In some cases, it may not bring back your 20/20 vision, but it certainly reduces your dependency on glasses and contact lenses in most cases. Unfortunately, laser eye surgery can affect some people adversely too.

Laser eye surgery is contra-indicated for people suffering from cataracts, arthritis, diabetes, glaucoma, and lupus, and pregnant women. Else, it can cause permanent damage to your vision. Laser eye surgery can cause double vision, halo, glare, it can affect your nighttime vision, cause permanant blurry vision and diminished contrast.

Dry eye is another outcome of laser eye surgery. If you already are suffering from dry eyes, surgery will further aggravate the condition. Your eyes will no longer produce tears.

It is always advisable to consult your ophthalmologist to find out how laser eye surgery will affect your eyes.

• Myopia – a condition where people can see things near to them clearly, but not objects far away.
• Hyperopia – a condition where people can see things far away clearly, but not objects nearer to them and
• Astigmatism – a condition that distorts the image on the retina, caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens,

can have their refractive errors corrected through laser eye surgery. Allowing the highest degree of precision, laser eye surgery is the most technologically advanced procedure from among the several different surgical techniques that are available to correct refractive errors.

Laser Eye Surgery – The Types and How They Work

Laser eye surgeries have been performed on millions of people all over the world since its introduction in the last decade. The main types of laser eye surgeries are:

• LASIK Eye Surgery: Laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis, or LASIK is the most common of all the laser vision correction procedures. A precise instrument is used to create a flap of tissue on the surface of the cornea. The laser smooths the inner surface. Each laser pulse removes corneal tissue about 1/500th of the thickness of the human hair. Although the procedure on both the eyes may take only between 5 to 15 minutes, it normally takes around 3 to 6 months for the vision to stabilize.
• Custom LASIK Eye Surgery (Wavefront): A technology used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in high powered telescopes, the wavefront analyzer is now used for medical purposes. Otherwise, the traditional LASIK surgery and the Custom LASIK surgery is the same. The wavefront analyzer maps your vision 25 times more precise than any other available instrument. This premium procedure uses the most sophisticated technology in laser eye surgery.
• Photo Refractive Keratectomy (PRK): This procedure, just like LASIK, corrects myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Because of certain procedures involved, PRK patients require more time to heal, and need to take medication to avoid pain for a few days.
• Laser Epithetal Keratomileusis (LASEK): This procedure is done on people whose cornea is too thin. The surgeon creates the flap in the outermost layer of the cornea, the epithelium. The LASEK procedure has the combined advantages of both, the LASIK and the PRK procedures.

There can be vision problems that are a combination of Myopia and Astigmatism, as well as a combination of Hyperopia and Astigmatism.