With the advanced uses of a medical laser, lasik eye surgery done by lasik eye doctors, is becoming a routine operation, performed hundreds of times every day around the world. Potential patients must use caution when selecting a facility and a surgeon as the operation may be frequently performed, there are inherent risks associated with lasik eye surgery. Complications as mundane as dry eye to major problems that could lead to blindness are some of the risks associated with laser lasik eye surgery.
Vision is a three-part process and anything that disrupts any one of them can cause a loss in visual acuity. The cornea receives light through the front of the eye and is responsible for about two-thirds of the focusing job. Images received by the cornea are then passed through the clear lens inside the idea, which provides about another third of the focus before it is passed onto the retina in the back of the eye. If the lens is cloudy, such as with cataracts or the cornea is no longer smooth and the refracted light is not focused when the image hits the lens, the retina receives a burry image, which is passed on to the brain.
Myopia, or nearsightedness is the most common visual problem affecting between 30 and 35 percent of the population. This condition allows people to see clearly at close range and is easily corrected with corrective lenses to enhance vision of distant objects. Another 10 percent of the population suffers from hyperopia, or farsightedness, meaning they can clearly see images at a distance, but cannot see clearly up close. Persons with astigmatism are usually unable to focus on images at either distance.
Astigmatisms are the result of a cornea not being rounded. Think of the eye as an adequately inflated basketball, nearly perfectly round. Persons with this condition may have the cornea appear flatter on one side and will be unable to focus light through the lens at any distance. Presbyopia is more common among adults over 45 years of age as the lens in the eye begins to lose its flexibility and cannot adjust to changes.
Using a laser, lasik eye surgery is used to reshape the cornea to provide better focus of the light that passes through to the lens. Following the procedure, myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism can be corrected, often times to a near perfect level of visual acuity. Patients suffering from presbyopia may also benefit from lasik surgery through a procedure known as monovision, although many may still require reading glasses for better close-up vision. Meeting with a lasik eye surgeon can determine if the benefits of lasik surgery outweigh the risks associated with the operation.
While many have visions of a super heated beam of light associated with a laser, lasik eye surgery uses lasers that use low-levels of heat so that they can removed bumps and uneven surfaces of the cornea without causing damage to surrounding areas of the eye. The laser is also guided by a computer to insure an even and constant burn to greatly reduce the possibility of an accident.
