How LASIK Eye Surgery Can Rid You Of Your Lenses

Updated on March 18, 2023
lasik

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 be wary of 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 there for quite some time after the FDA approved it in 1995. If you’ve myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, you can opt for a 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) astigmatism, light rays don’t fall on the retina directly, causing blurred visions. It happens when you have imperfectly-shaped eyeball or cornea that gives rise to refractive errors. Using glasses or lenses enable proper refraction of light, thus reducing the problem to a great extent.

LASIK or Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis is a form of laser-refracted 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 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 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.

Final words

If you’ve got bored of your specs or lenses, you can always opt for a 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 FDA approving it for eye surgeries, you can rest assured that you won’t develop adversities in the future.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.