Is refractive laser surgery right for you?
If you would like to reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses, you may want to consider refractive laser surgery. Lasik eye surgery is an outpatient procedure that reshapes the cornea of the eye to correct various vision problems. Although this is not a solution for all eye conditions, this treatment can mean a lifetime of improved vision for many people.
Making an informed decision about refractive surgery is key to your success or failure with these surgical procedures. A primary role of the doctors at Milpitas Optometric Group is to assist you in making these important decisions. They will conduct tests to determine if your eye and prescription are suitable for the Lasik procedure. They will also counsel you about what your expectations can and should be from the results of the surgery and answer all your questions and concerns.
If you decide refractive laser surgery is something you want to pursue, selecting the right surgeon is of utmost importance. Successful Lasik surgery depends in large part upon the experience of the surgeon. Because the doctors at Milpitas Optometric Group have participated in the medical co-management of Lasik surgery since it was first approved for use, we are able to match each patient’s particular needs with the most qualified surgeon in the greater San Jose Area. This is one reason our patients have had such successful results.
The actual procedure takes only ten minutes and results are immediate. Once the surgery has been performed, knowledgeable and diligent post-operative care is the final key to a successful refractive laser surgery result. The doctors at Milpitas Optometric Group provide this specialized care for one full year after surgery and then coordinate ongoing preventative care in the years ahead.
Why Don't I See 20/20?
The eye is a complex organ that uses tissues of different consistencies and different curvatures to focus light rays into a single point. The front surface of the eye is a transparent, avascular (free of blood vessels) tissue called the cornea. The tissue lying on the very back surface of the eye is called the retina, and is made up of millions of neurons that send visual messages to the brain. Between the cornea and the retina is the lens which allows us to change our focus from far away objects to objects up close. Laser Vision Correction changes the curvature of the cornea so light rays come to focus on a single point on the retina.
Nearsightedness, or myopia, occurs when light rays focus in front of the retina, forming a blurry image.
This can occur when the eyeball is longer in size than normal (even by just a millimeter), or when the cornea is steeper than normal, or the lens is too powerful.
Farsightedness, or hyperopia, occurs when light rays focus behind the retina, forming a blurry image. This can occur when the eyeball is shorter in size than normal or when the cornea is flatter than normal or the lens is not powerful enough.
Astigmatism occurs when the very front of the eye, the cornea, is curved like a football (elliptical) rather than like a basketball (spherical). Astigmatism can make things at all distances blurry because light focuses at two different points on the retina whether you are looking far away or up close.
Presbyopia is the decrease in the ability to focus up close as we age. There are many theories as to why this happens, but current research seems to think it has to do with our lens growing in size and becoming more rigid with time, as well as loss of muscle strength within the eye.
Currently, refractive surgery can help reduce or eliminate your dependence on glasses or contact lenses for correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. As of today, however, there is no FDA approved procedure that can correct for presbyopia. If you are over forty, it is important to recognize that correcting your vision in order to see far away may result in the need for glasses to see up close.
The LASIK Procedure
Laser Assisted in-Situ Kerastomileusis, also known as LASIK, is a surgical procedure that uses laser light energy to reshape the cornea. First, a thin corneal flap is created and folded back to expose the inner layers of the cornea. The flap remains attached, and the laser is then used to reshape the central layers of the cornea.
Once the laser treatment is complete, the corneal flap is laid back into place. The cornea immediately begins to heal and the flap bonds to the rest of the tissue. LASIK can be used to treat low to high amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. A discussion with your doctor can help you decide which procedure is best for your needs.