Norwich Ophthalmology Group
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With the help of a complete eye exam, it will be confirmed if the patient is far or nearsighted or has astigmatism. He must not have any ocular health problems like untreated glaucoma or cataracts. Specific extra measures are needed for corneal surface mapping or cornea thickness. With the help of an experienced ophthalmologist, it can be noted if the patient is an ideal candidate for LASIK or not.
The entire success rate of LASIK treatment depends on the experienced surgeon, along with the accuracy of the noted pre-operative assessment. There are certain criteria that a your LASIK surgeon must posses including certification from the American Board of Ophthalmology; along with being well trained in the practice of Ophthalmology and possess the measurable experience necessary to perform LASIK surgical procedures.
The entire procedure might take 5-7 minutes for each eye. It takes place under topical anesthetic eye drops. During the process of LASIK, a medical instrument, named a microkeratome is used for lifting the upper thin layer of the cornea. Then, with the help of laser treatment, a precise amount of corneal tissue is removed. After the procedure takes place, the flap is laid back in its previous position by natural suction. No sutures are used. Eye drops and plastic shields are used for protecting the eye for the day. Results are more or less immediate, however, some discomfort might take place for the first 24 hours .
The well-known excimer laser uses a light cold beam to sculpt the cornea’s surface into its desired shape. It helps in correcting both farsightedness and nearsightedness, along with astigmatism.
With the use of anesthetic eye drops, the cornea can be easily numbed. According to the majority of patients, they feel little or no discomfort during or after LASIK treatment.
In LASIK treatment, recovery is usually very fast. For the first few hours after surgery, patients might feel a little bit of irritation, along with a tearing and a burning sensation. At this time, the vision is blurred. Therefore, the majority of people nap at this point to rest their eyes. After few hours, the irritation subsides and the vision starts to become clear. After the surgical day, the irritation stops completely, and the vision is quite clear.
I am so very nervous! Therefore, the use of a mild sedative can work wonders before starting the surgical procedure. It can help you to relax during the procedure, and at the same time encourage taking a nap.
Most people prefer to have one eye done at a time. In certain cases, some patients will opt for having both their eyes done at the same time. This helps to avoid the imbalance period, which generally takes place when one eye is still in need of correction.
During the process, you will be lying on a comfortable stretcher and staring straight ahead at a fixation light. At this point, your surgeon will use a lid separator called a speculum to hold the upper eye lid open, which prevents blinking. The doctor has full control of the laser, and can also stop the procedure if he thinks it is necessary.
You cannot get a guarantee of perfect vision with any of the medical processes. The majority of people enjoy clear vision within just a few days. An important point to note is that LASIK does not eliminate the use of reading glasses. Starting around the age of 40 a typical condition called presbyopia starts to take place which might require bifocal or reading glasses. Laser treatment will not be able to correct this condition.
In most cases, patients return to work within two days.
All active sports will need to be postponed for two weeks or until your eyes are fully healed. Some other activities should also be avoided like hot tubs, swimming, and saunas. After full recovery takes place, you can again regain your activities, and can even play sports without using your glasses.
LASIK can be defined as a permanent process; however, you may need an enhancement procedure in certain cases.
Visual improvement is more or less immediate, even though fluctuations might take place. The majority of people heal within two weeks.
The process is quite safe, and therefore has been rapidly accepted. With any surgical procedure, complications might arise. There are some vision-threatening results which exist, but these are extremely rare. These complications include infections (1 in 5,000) and irregular healing process, which is also known as “irregular astigmatism”. During such instances, contact lenses or further surgery might be necessary. Other complications might lead to blurriness for a temporary time, dependence on contact lenses or glasses for a short time period, or need for an additional surgical procedure. In most cases, patients recover without any complications.
There are different factors, on which success generally depends. The most important are the degree of astigmatism or farsightedness, and nearsightedness. Depending on this factor, the surgeon can predict 20/40 or greater vision for the patient. In most cases, 95% of LASIK eye treatments have reached 20/20, with just the single procedure.
If defined in moderate and low ranges, then LASIK might help you in this regard. On the other hand, for high levels, LASIK might not be the best option . You may opt for other refractive procedures for better results.
Astigmatism generally takes place when the eye shape is oval and not round. With a laser treatment any level of Astigmatism can easily be corrected.
Many patients who have dry eyes have proceeded with LASIK surgery. LASIK might worsen the condition, but only for a temporary period. Dryness is usually treated with the artificial tears for lubrication. In certain cases, punctal plugs, which are placed in the lower eye lid tear ducts, can be inserted to improve tear distribution . The plugs may be removed once you are free from dryness, or can be left in place on a permanent basis, as well.
LASIK is only used to correct distance vision. If LASIK is performed when distance glasses are not needed for patients over 40 years of age, they might need to wear a pair of reading glasses. However, the exception is when people opt for monovision. Here, one eye is corrected for distance, and the other remains nearsighted. Among 100 % of patients, 10 to 20 % generally opt for monovision correction. This process is only recommended for those patients, who have already tried this type of correction using contact lenses.
The cost of LASIK procedures may vary from one facillity to another, and is also dependent on the procedure that is best for the patient on an individual basis, your surgeon will determine the best procedure for you and our co-ordinators will go over all costs and payment options. Norwich Ophthalmology Group offers several financial plans which feature no-interest to low-interest rates as well as in house financing.
Most insurance companies will not cover your LASIK procedure, however, it is always a good idea to call your insurance representatives to ask about the benefits and coverage that may apply.
For any other questions you may have, please feel free to contact our LASIK surgeons at (860) 889-5980 for more information or to schedule your Complimentary LASIK Consultation today.
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