» Laser Eye Surgery F.A.Q
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1. What are the risks and possible side effects of laser eye surgery?
2. Am I a good candidate for laser eye surgery?
3. What must be done before the operation?
4. Is the operation painful?
5. What happens during the operation?
6. Are there any long-term experiences?
7. Is it advised to have both eyes operated the same day?
8. Will I have to continue to wear glasses after the operation?
9. May I wear contact lenses after the treatment?
10. May I undergo laser eye surgery if I'm pregnant?
11. Does my medical insurance cover any part of the costs?
» What are the risks and possible side effects of laser eye surgery?
First of all: the risk to have a worse vision than before is very low! As with any surgery, the potential for eye surgery side effects does exist. The rate of complications can be held under 1% if the surgical candidates are selected carefully and the surgeon is experienced enough. Serious complications are very rare in modern eye surgery procedures. In some cases corrections may be needed to reach the desired vision, meaning that the procedure must be repeated. This is usually needed if the vision has been under- or overcorrected during the surgery and the result is less than optimal. It's very rare for LASIK to cause permanent, significant vision loss such that eyesight with contact lenses and eyeglasses is actually worse than it was before surgery. Requisites to a successful outcome are to choose the right method, to choose an experienced surgeon and to carefully follow the instructions of the surgeon before, under and after the operation.
» Am I a good candidate for laser eye surgery?
Wearing glasses or contact lenses is not always trouble-free. Many people who wear glasses feel hindered when it comes to sports,
or other activities. The aesthetic approach may also be a reason why wearing glasses may become uncomfortable. Contact lenses may
also cause inconveniences, such as eye irritations, allergic reactions and others. Laser eye surgery is a good alternative solution
for these patients. Surgical correction of the eyesight may not be performed on every patient though, and as with any surgery, the
potential for side effects does exist. To answer the question a thorough eye examination (by a specialist) is needed and your medical
history must be shown to the surgeon before he or she can decide if you are a good candidate or not.
Probably you are a good candidate for laser eye surgery if the following principles are true:
- You are above 18 years of age.
- Your vision is not worsening any more.
- You do not have any eye diseases (including glaucoma, eye cataract and others).
- You do not suffer from AIDS, diabetes, herpes, or any serious internal disease.
- You do not use any strong medicaments that might affect the healing of the eye.
- You are not pregnant.
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» What must be done before the operation?
A thorough eye examination must take place. This should be done by a specialist. Those who wear contact lenses should quit wearing the lenses about two weeks before the examination. This is very important, because the precise measurement of the cornea is vital in the success of the operation. False pre-examination results may lead to an incorrect treatment! The pre-examination may take up to 2-3 hours if done with precision and care. After this examination you will not be allowed to drive for a few hours, so it is advised to bring someone with you, who can drive you back home.
» Is the operation painful?
Laser eye surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. The operation is painless, but it will cause some inconveniences. After the operation patients may feel light postoperative pain, but many people feel no more than mild discomfort after LASIK. That's one advantage over PRK, which can be quite painful afterwards. The surgeon will prescribe medication for postoperative pain in case PRK eye surgery has been performed.
» What happens during the operation?
Both LASIK and PRK is an outpatient procedure, which means you'll spend around an hour or two at the surgeon's office and walk out afterwards. Someone else should drive you home, since your vision might be a little blurry right after surgery.
You'll lie down in a reclining chair. The surgeon will place anesthetic drops in your eye, position your head under the laser and place an eyelid speculum (retainer) in your eye to hold the lids open.
In LASIK, the surgeon creates a thin flap in the top of the cornea, folds it back out of the way, uses the laser to remove some corneal tissue, and then puts the flap back in place. If you're having PRK, the laser removes the outer layer of the cornea.
In both procedures, the pre-calculated amount of corneal tissue removed by the laser is microscopic - about the thickness of a human hair.
The surgeon will place drops or ointment in your eye. You may relax for a little while, then go home and rest. You'll probably notice clearer vision immediately, and it may improve even more as the weeks go by.
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» Are there any long-term experiences?
There are controlled PRK-studies since the mid 1980-s. LASIK treatments are performed since 1991 and have since then been acknowledged as one of the best methods in refractive eye surgery. These studies have shown that both methods are effective, reliable and safe.
» Is it advised to have both eyes operated the same day?
It is possible to have both eyes done on the same day, but the surgeon will probably do the other eye after a short period of time, not right after the first is finished. Simultaneous LASIK treatments are very popular in the USA and Canada and are gaining popularity in Europe as well. Many surgeons advise their patients to wait a week or two before having their second eye done. This really depends on you, but it is advised to ask your surgeon about his or her opinion.
» Will I have to continue to wear glasses after the operation?
The aim of the treatment is to provide the patient with a perfect vision without wearing glasses and contact lenses. It is not always possible to achieve this aim, but the eyesight will definitely be upgraded. In some cases, after a few months following the operation the vision may worsen a little. If this is disturbing, a second treatment can correct the eyesight, but in most cases patients do not notice this change. As people get older their vision worsens; this is a natural thing and cannot be prevented or cured by laser eye surgery. As you get older, the time will come when you will need reading glasses.
» May I wear contact lenses after the treatment?
Yes. Laser eye surgery does not hinder you in wearing contact lenses. After the age of 45, eyesight starts to worsen. Wearing reading glasses is the only solution for this problem. You may wear contact lenses instead, if you wish to.
» May I undergo laser eye surgery if I'm pregnant?
Laser eye surgery does not have any known risks that may endanger your child's health. Even though, we do not advise you to undergo any unnecessary medical treatments during the pregnancy. Wait with this procedure until you have given birth to your baby.
» Does my medical insurance cover any part of the costs?
If you have a private medical insurance we advise you to contact you insurer for further information, but most private medical insurance companies do not cover laser eye surgery costs. State-run, national health insurance funds will not cover the costs.
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