LASIK Eye Surgery

Let us first understand how an eye collects light to form the images for the brain to process, thereby allowing us to see what is in front of it.

 

Pupil: When you look at an eye, the small dark spot in the center is the pupil. It is a small aperture that allows light to pass and form an image on the retina, which is the inside of the back wall of the eye ball.

 

Iris: The iris is the big dark circular area around the pupil that gives the color to the eye. It is a muscle that controls the size of the aperture, the pupil. In the dark, the pupil widens allowing more light to enter and shrinks under bright light conditions. The eye is a little slow in adjusting to a sudden change in the light conditions. This is why when you turn on the light after being in a dark room for some time, you are not able to open your eyes completely. After a few seconds, the pupil adjusts itself and controls the amount of light allowing you to open your eyes normally.

 

Cornea: This is the outermost covering in front of the eye and it acts as the lens to focus the light through the pupils to form a sharp image on the retina. Eye glasses assists the cornea in focusing to form sharp images for people with poor vision.

 

People who have very poor vision need thicker and heavier eyeglasses. Now, if the cornea itself can be reshaped to correct its shape abnormalities, one may not need eyeglasses or may need ones with much less power and thinner lenses. This is the concept that formed the basis of a process what has now evolved into LASIK and its many different forms.

 

The process of reshaping the cornea for correcting the vision is not new, but like all other sciences, it has been improving with time and becoming better by the day. The computerization of the process has it more precise, however the risks still remain. About two decades ago, ophthalmologists used a surgical blade to make cuts on the lens in order to change the curvature of the lens to correct the vision. These cuts were made by hand. Thousands of people, especially in the developing countries rushed to this "miracle cure" that let them do away with their glasses only to find a fews years later that they had permanently damaged their eyes even more.

 

 

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. It is a procedure that surgically corrects the shape of the cornea using a computer controlled vaporization of the stroma. The surgery is performed painlessly and can be completed in about 5 minutes. However, everyone may not be eligible for the LASIK surgery and one should understand the short and long term risks associated with this process. The results may also vary from person to person and depends highly on the doctor performing the procedure. The government keeps issuing instructions to the doctors to explain the risks to the patients in more detail so that they can make a more informed decision and weigh the pros and cons.

 

Associated Risks

Even though most people would get a better eyesight after the procedure, a risk remains of developing poor vision later in life, or other ramifications of the surgery that may defeat the advantages of a better vision.

 

The first thing to understand is that the LASIK refractive surgery is permanent and irreversible.

 

Since the amount of corrective action is controlled by the doctor, he/she may be a little over cautious in the surgery. As a result, the vaporization of the stroma may be a little overdone or underdone. Therefore, the benefits that are advertised, may not be all seen by the patient after the surgery. One may still need to use glasses for reading or normal vision.

 

It has been found that some patients develop double vision and or glare that does not allow them to see well at night.

 

Some people develop dry eye syndrome after the surgery. Dry eye syndrome prevents creation of natural tears in the eyes that keep the eyes moist. Patients need to put artificial tears drops several times a day to fight discomfort.

 

 

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