LASIK Vision Correction – Treatment Types and the Benefits

by Dave Davis on November 23, 2009

Are you tired of using glasses and contact lenses? If so, then Lasik surgery may be exactly what you are looking for. It is a kind of vision correction procedure for the eye with the help of laser technology. The word ‘Lasik’ is short for the phrase ‘laser in situ keratomileusis’. In this procedure, a laser is used under the flap of the cornea. The shape of the cornea is changed as per the requirement. eyesight and refractive complications are corrected with this surgical procedure.

An excimer laser is used in the Lasik procedure. This is manufactured mainly by Bausch and Lomb, Alcon, Visx, Wavelight, Nidek and others. There are various varieties of lasik surgeries including a conventional laser procedure, a wavefront optimized procedure and a wavefront guided procedure.

The conventional laser treatment is the most widely-used type. It provides treatment based on the eye glasses prescription of the patient. It uses specific parameters of treatment for different patients. Even though this type of treatment is the most popular, it has the potential for side effects like glare, halos, and night vision – side effects not typical among the other treatments.

The wave front-optimized surgical procedure is carried out with a Wavelight laser. Additionally, in addition to what the the conventional surgical process offers, this one measures the curvature and thickness of the cornea. Also, it does not have many of the identical problems of the traditional Lasik treatment.

Lastly, the a wave-front guided procedure is available. It is also called Custom Lasik or Wave-front Lasik. It is pretty much the same as the conventional laser treatment, but has one exception. In this process severe irregularities in the optical system of a patient can be identified beforehand. It is done using specialized wavefront mapping.

Like all surgical processes Lasik surgery does have some risks and complications which you should know and be prepared for. There are chances of over-correction or under-correction. You may still need to use eyeglasses or contact lenses. Impermanence of the initial correction might occur. You may potentially end up with remaining problems with your vision. Worst case scenario, you might potentially lose your eye sight.

Though there could be problems, this treatment is known to be one of the safest options. The procedure’s accuracy level is very high for the correction of myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. It needs much less time and the hospital stay is reduced. The surgery is not painful. Most of the time, a one time procedure totally resolves the vision issue. It also makes the feeling of visibility better and sometimes also improves your vision.

There are a couple other things that you should know if you opt for lasik surgery: Your refractive error, treatment options, type of laser prescribed and reason for your chosen procedure type. Know your corneal shape and curvature, career issues, vision stability, age, corneal thickness, medical or eye diseases, pupil size, dry eyes and any prior eye surgeries, so that you can chat with your doctor.

Be cautious and do appropriate research when choosing the doctor. He or she should be experienced, well respected in his specialty, and have access to the most advanced techniques and equipment. He or she should be reachable post-surgical process in case of potential problems or issues.

Lasik surgery is an excellent surgical procedure option for the correction of the power of your eyes. Consider the things mentioned earlier and you will be better prepared to talk about this surgical procedure with your surgeon to determine if a particular treatment is for you.

The Lasik cost is something you should know before you choose a vision correction procedure. This website has all the lasik surgery info you need to make a good choice.

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