Laser Eye Surgery Info: What’s involved in Laser Eye Surgery
For anyone just needing some quick general information on what’s involved in laser eye surgery, here is some basic information I got online. I am not a Doctor so do not take any of this as Gospel- if you see a real Doctor get the actual detail from them. As I couldn’t even handle wearing contact lenses, just use glasses for distances and try to avoid all surgery unless something is absolutely necessary, I won’t have laser eye surgery but here is some basic general information for you to determine if you should investigate this further and make a Doctor’s appointment and decide from there after seeing a Doctor. If you see anything I wrote that needs revising or anything I should add to this post, please let me know.
Pluses of Successful Laser Surgery
* Little pain
* Vision is corrected within a day after laser eye surgery though it can take up to 6 months for your vision to stabilize
* Recovery is quick and usually no bandages or stitches are required.
* Adjustments can be made after to correct vision further as applicable
* Most patients don’t need glasses afterwards.
Potential Side Effects
* Discomfort Up to 2 Days after the operation
* Glare
* Halos around images
* Trouble Driving at Night
* Fluctuating vision
* Dry eyes
Pre-Laser Eye Exam
Your ophthalmologist conducts a pre-Laser eye examination to determine whether you are a good candidate for Laser eye surgery.
Weeks Before the Operation
Patients wearing soft contact lenses are usually instructed to stop wearing them 5 to 21 days before surgery. One industry body recommends that patients wearing hard contact lenses should stop wearing them for a minimum of six weeks plus another six weeks for every three years the hard contacts have been worn. Before the surgery, the patient’s corneas are examined with a pachymeter to determine their thickness, and with a topographer to measure their surface contour. Using low-power lasers, a topographer creates a topographic map of the cornea. This process also detects astigmatism and other irregularities in the shape of the cornea. Using this information, the surgeon calculates the amount and the locations of corneal tissue to be removed during the operation. The patient typically is prescribed and self-administers an antibiotic beforehand to minimize the risk of infection after the procedure.
The day before surgery, you should stop using:
* creams
* lotions
* makeup
* perfumes
Surgery Procedure Information from the US FDA
“Surgery should take less than 30 minutes.
A numbing drop will be placed in your eye, the area around your eye will be cleaned, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open.
Your doctor may use a mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) to cut a flap in the cornea.
If a mechanical microkeratome is used, a ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. The microkeratome, a cutting instrument, is attached to the suction ring. Your doctor will use the blade of the microkeratome to cut a flap in your cornea. Microkeratome blades are meant to be used only once and then thrown out. The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed.
Your doctor may use a laser keratome (a laser device), instead of a mechanical microkeratome, to cut a flap on the cornea.
If a laser keratome is used, the cornea is flattened with a clear plastic plate. Your vision will dim and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. Laser energy is focused inside the cornea tissue, creating thousands of small bubbles of gas and water that expand and connect to separate the tissue underneath the cornea surface, creating a flap. The plate is then removed.
You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision during the rest of the procedure. The doctor will then lift the flap and fold it back on its hinge, and dry the exposed tissue.
The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This is not the laser used to remove tissue from the cornea. This light is to help you keep your eye fixed on one spot once the laser comes on. NOTE: If you cannot stare at a fixed object for at least 60 seconds, you may not be a good candidate for this surgery.
When your eye is in the correct position, your doctor will start the laser. At this point in the surgery, you may become aware of new sounds and smells. The pulse of the laser makes a ticking sound. As the laser removes corneal tissue, some people have reported a smell similar to burning hair. A computer controls the amount of laser energy delivered to your eye. Before the start of surgery, your doctor will have programmed the computer to vaporize a particular amount of tissue based on the measurements taken at your initial evaluation. After the pulses of laser energy vaporize the corneal tissue, the flap is put back into position.
A shield should be placed over your eye at the end of the procedure as protection, since no stitches are used to hold the flap in place. It is important for you to wear this shield to prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked until the flap has healed.”
After the Operation
Patients are usually given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory eye drops for a few weeks and advised to sleep more. A darkened pair of shields to protect eyes from bright lights and protective goggles to prevent rubbing of the eyes when asleep and to reduce dry eyes are used. Patients are required to moisturize the eyes with preservative-free tears and follow directions for prescription drops. Your Surgeon will advise you exactly what you need to do after the operation.
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