How LASIK Eye Surgery Can Rid You Of Your Lenses

If you’ve been wearing specs or contact lenses for a long time, there may be moments when you wonder if only you could see things clearly without them. You wouldn’t have to bear the weight of those glasses on your nose throughout the day or worry about getting your contacts infected. You could also have used the time invested in cleaning and disinfecting your lenses regularly in something more productive.

What if all these thoughts came true and you could indeed rid yourself of your glasses or lenses?

The LASIK eye surgeries have been around for quite some time since the FDA approved them in 1995. If you’ve myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, you can opt for LASIK eye surgery if all other factors comply to improve your vision. You may then live without your glasses or lenses for the rest of your life.

How LASIK surgeries work in improving vision?

If you have nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), or astigmatism, light rays don’t fall on the retina directly, causing blurred vision. It occurs when you have an imperfectly shaped eyeball or cornea, which gives rise to refractive errors. Using glasses or lenses enables proper refraction of light, thus reducing the problem to a great extent.

LASIK or Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis is a form of laser-refractive surgery that changes the shape of the cornea to help the light rays focus on the retina, where images are formed. The process is undergone in two steps.

Firstly, the eye surgeon creates a tiny circular flap in the cornea and lifts it to expose the part where the correction will take place. The next step of lasik eye surgery involves an exciplex laser (excimer or ultraviolet laser), which is used to remove the pieces of microscopic tissue that are responsible for the impaired vision and put the flap back in place like a natural bandage.

The process is both pain-free and less time-consuming. Owing to the high success rate of the process and approval by the FDA, millions of people opt for LASIK eye surgeries in the US alone. You can notice improvements in your vision in as little as 24 hours.

3 Steps that precede a LASIK eye surgery

Step 1: First of all, your doctor will conduct a thorough eye exam to check if you’re an eligible candidate for the surgery. In this exam, you will be checked for the risks of developing issues like dry eyes after the surgery.

You may want to find an eye specialist for the procedure, but you can also go to your general practitioner first. You should consult with your eye doctor about any conditions that are relevant or if you have any medical history that is of concern before getting LASIK surgery. Your doctor will be able to help remove any doubts and concerns you may have about this process.

Step 2: Next, a corneal topographer will be used to draw a map of your cornea, taking down every detail, and a waterfront analysis may also be performed to maximize the LASIK results.

Step 3: You’ll be asked to stop wearing your lenses for about two weeks before the surgery to prevent any alteration in the cornea shape.

During the procedure, you’ll be given some anesthetic eye drops to prevent any discomfort. Although LASIK surgeries involve the actual shooting of lasers into your eyes, you won’t feel any pain because of the eye drops and some medications that the doctor may give you to promote relaxation.  

Your eyes will heal considerably faster, and you’ll be able to resume your daily activities within a few days. However, you should avoid sports activities, diving and swimming in hot tubs for about two weeks post-surgery.

If you’ve gotten bored with your specs or lenses, you can always opt for LASIK surgery to get rid of them and lead a hassle-free life. A lot of clinical research and medical literature support the effectiveness of the process, so you need not worry about its success. With the FDA approving it for eye surgeries, you can rest assured that you won’t develop adversities in the future.