Laser vision corrective surgery reshapes the eye to improve a person's vision to the point they no longer need glasses. Michael Wagoner, MD, who specializes in vision corrective, or refractive, surgery at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about laser vision corrective surgery:
What does laser corrective surgery do to the eye to improve vision?
Laser corrective surgery changes the shape of the cornea, or the clear window of the eye, so the eye is more capable of properly focusing light and images on the retina. In doing this, it essentially tries to reproduce the function that could be provided by glasses or contact lenses.
Are there different types of laser vision procedures? What are they?
Yes there are. I think there's a tendency in the advertisements and in the lay literature and conversations for people to use the term LASIK interchangeably with all laser vision procedures.
But there are a number of different ways that the laser treatment can be applied to the eye. LASIK is one of the techniques. Another technique is called surface ablation or PRK. Generally, many patients are candidates for either procedure, but there are some patients for whom one procedure would be better for their particular eye condition than the other, and only the eye care practitioner can make the determination of what's the best laser vision procedure for an individual patient.
Who is a good candidate or eligible for laser vision corrective surgery?
Basically, it's a patient who is nearsighted, or farsighted, or who has astigmatism who, for whatever reason, has a desire to be less reliant on glasses or contacts for their visual function. The patient generally has to have a good ocular health, other than the presence of the refractive error.
Can someone have both eyes done at the same time?
Most of the time we do both eyes at the same time. Originally, we did one eye and we waited and then did the other eye, but many patients are bothered by the imbalance between the two eyes. So at the present time, probably more than 90 percent of patients elect to have both eyes done simultaneously.
Does laser vision correction hurt?
There's no pain associated with having the procedure itself. But contrary to what one reads—and once again in the advertisements and the lay press—there can be some discomfort temporarily after the surgery. Patients who have LASIK will sometimes have mild irritation and foreign body sensation during the day of the procedure and usually feel better by the next morning. Patients who have surface treatments, or PRK, will sometimes have a bit of discomfort in the eye for two to three days after the procedure.
How long does it take for the procedure?
The actual laser treatment to the eye is generally between 30 and 90 seconds, but the preparation of the eye, the preparation of the flap, and the other maneuvers that are done to get things ready for the laser take a few minutes, so the total time for each eye is usually about 15 minutes.
What happens after laser vision corrective surgery?
Generally after the surgery, we put the patient on an antibiotic drop to help prevent infection and an anti-inflammatory drop to reduce the inflammation in the eye. So generally the patient has to take drops four to six times a day for several days after the surgery. The patient usually comes back somewhere between one and three days after the procedure, and then one week after that, one month after that, and two months after that.
Are there side effects people should be concerned about?
I think the biggest side effect—if you want to call it that—that every patient has to be aware of is that there's a potential for slight over or under correction. That means that many patients, even though they see very well, see slightly less well than they did with their glasses or contacts. Many patients see the same, but some patients are a little bit under or over corrected.
Another side effect they need to be worried about is that some patients with LASIK find that they either develop dry eye symptoms or their dry eye symptoms get worse after the surgery. And the majority of the patients complain to some degree about what we call night vision symptoms, or halos or glare around headlights and streetlamps when they're out at night. About 95 percent of patients see symptoms go away within about three months, but patients have to be aware that they may have a little bit of difficulty seeing and driving in the dark for a while after the surgery.
When can people who have laser vision corrective surgery drive or go back to work?
Generally if the patient has the LASIK version of laser vision procedures, they can usually see well enough to drive safely within about three days after the surgery. Sometimes it's as much as a week. They can usually feel comfortable enough to go back to work within one or two days. Patients who have surface treatment, or PRK, generally can't see well enough to drive and don't really feel comfortable going back to work for about five to seven days.
If someone is interested in laser vision corrective surgery, what steps should they take to make an appointment?
They should make an appointment with an eye care practitioner that performs the procedure, because, at a minimum, they need a comprehensive eye exam to make sure they're a suitable candidate. If they want to be evaluated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, they can call the Department of Ophthalmology and ask to speak to the Refractive Surgery Coordinator.
|
