Persons with myopia, nearsightedness or hyperopia, farsightedness may be able to have their vision restored to a near normal level through laser eye surgery. Typically performed on one eye at a time, depending on their occupation and availability of time, they may be able to have both eyes worked on during the same procedure. By visiting a professional center lasik eye surgery can be explained and it can be determined if the procedure will meet their expectations.
While lasik eye surgery can provide many benefits for many people, pre-screening at a lasik eye surgery center (or with a local or Colorado lasik surgeon) can help determine the ratio of benefits to risk and all aspects of the operation can be fully explained before any surgery is scheduled. For the doctors at the center, lasik eye surgery may be a daily operation, but they are also very conscious of the risks and the need for patients to fully understand those risks. During initial consultations, they can determine if there are increased risks to the patients, such as medical conditions or medication being taken that may slow the individual's healing process.
There will also be a thorough eye examination to determine if the individual's cornea is thick enough to handle the operation. Typically, once accepted for the procedure at an eye center, lasik eye surgery professionals will make a map of the outer portion of the cornea. It is similar to a topographic map showing all the ridges and valleys that have appeared in the cornea over time and has affected the way refraction reflects light onto the lens in the back of the eye.
One of the key factors usually discussed during prescreening is the expectations of the potential patient. Too many times people misunderstand advertisements for the surgical procedure and see it as a magic pill for all types of vision problems. Many advertisements also fail to mention that complete restoration of visual acuity can take as long as six months, although the average is between two and four months. During this time they mat suffer fluctuations in their focus and suffer some visual aberrations and most will come through the operation and the healing process with little or no trouble.
The first few days following the procedure may also be filled with minor discomfort or pain, depending on the patient's tolerance level, but this rarely lasts beyond two or three days. The patient will also need to protect their eyes from being rubbed or bumped since the flap that was cut for the operation will simply be placed back into position with nothing to hold it in place until the natural healing process is complete.
During initial visits to the center lasik eye surgery requirements for post-operative care will also be explained and those that no dot have sufficient time to devote to healing may be advised to wait on the surgery. Participating in contact sports or those that have a physically demanding job may not be able to take six to eight weeks off work to allow the corea to completely heal.
