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Blade-Free LASIK
Your eye is made of several parts, one of which is
the cornea - the front surface on the outside of your eye.
If the eye is shaped correctly, it "refracts" or bends the
light to focus light onto the retina. However, if the eye is
incorrectly shaped, it creates an out-of-focus image. That's
where LASIK comes in.
LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ
Keratomileusis) is a procedure that uses an excimer laser to
reshape the cornea - and thus the shape of the eye - with
extreme accuracy by removing the microscopic layers of
corneal tissue. Using the skills we have developed over the
years, we can precisely guide the excimer laser through a
short yet thorough procedure that corrects nearsightedness,
farsightedness and astigmatism.
What Do Your
LASIK Options Look Like
One in four
people are good candidates for LASIK. For example, LASIK
cannot correct presbyopia, or the natural aging of the eye,
which occurs after the age of 40 and often necessitates the
use of reading glasses.
Before you can be considered for LASIK, we
need to know what type of vision you have. Your family eye
doctor usually has a comprehensive history. He or she knows
whether you have
,
,
or
. Of equal importance is whether or not your vision
prescription has changed significantly in the past year.
Once we've determined that you are a
candidate, Grossnickle Eye Center will then carefully map
and measure your eye to ensure a precise outcome. Next,
we'll determine whether your refractive error falls within
the corrective range of LASIK. Lastly, we'll make certain
that you have healthy corneas and good overall health. Once
these issues are resolved, it's time to take the next step.
The LASIK
Procedure
 The
LASIK procedure takes only 10 to 15 minutes to perform, but
it will take several hours to prepare you for the outpatient
surgery.
First, you'll be given
a mild relaxant to relieve any anxiety or stress. Since
you'll be awake through the procedure, its important that
you be relaxed and calm.
Your eyes will then be
anesthetized with special drops prior to the procedure. You
may experience a very mild pressure sensation as the doctor
creates the flap. The surgeon then gently sculpts the
cornea with the excimer laser, and replaces the flap.
What are
the Risks?
While the risks of LASIK
are minimal, we feel that it’s important for our patients to
understand that it is a surgical procedure. As with any
surgery these risks will be discussed in depth with you
prior to the surgery.
Most patients find that the
most common minor complication is eye dryness, which is
preventatively treated with drops and in more extreme cases
by plugging the tear ducts. There is also the risk of an
infection or a complication of the corneal flap.
Grossnickle Eye Center’s complication rate is less than one
percent. All the more reason to rely upon the experience and
advanced technology available at Grossnickle Eye Center.
What Does
the Future Look Like Afterward?
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We all know that there are no
guarantees in life, but you should have some
expectations. Although we cannot guarentee you 20/20
vision the majority of our patients have 20/20
vision the day after surgery. The vision correction
you receive is considered permanent.
In short, chances are good that
you'll see immediate results. Over the next three
months as your eyes adjust to the reshaping of the
cornea, your vision will stabilize. In a small
percentage of cases, our patients need additional
correction with the laser to achieve their desired
vision.
Still for most patients, LASIK
will mean seeing the world in a whole different way.
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Additional
Information
Food and Drug Administration
www.fda.org
American Academy of Ophthalmology
www.aao.org
Academy of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons
www.ascrs.org
International Society of Refractive
Surgeons
www.locateanisrsdoctor.com
Books:
The Complete
Book of Laser Surgery
by Stephen Slade, M.D. with Richard N.
Baker, O.D.
and Dorothy Kay Brockman.
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