Risks and Benefits of Lasik Eye Surgery
Among elective procedures have made leaps and bounds in the last decade laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis or LASIK surgery is among the most commonly performed.
It is estimated that more than 600,000 LASIK surgeries are performed each year in the US alone for the treatment of nearsightedness farsightedness and astigmatism.
Being Informed About LASIK Eye Surgery
Most LASIK patients report being satisfied with the results of their surgery as with any surgery, however, there are risks involved that's why it is important to be fully informed before you decide to have LASIK surgery.
The FDA reviews clinical data from LASIK laser manufacturers these data showed that when LASIK is done properly and on the right patients the benefits outweigh the risks.
LASIK is not for everyone for it to be safe and effective eye doctors must carefully evaluate their patients to determine if they are good candidates for the procedure.
Factors that may prevent you from being a good candidate for LASIK include having changes in your contact lens or glasses prescription in the past year.
Having a condition such as diabetes or taking medications that may affect wound healing such as corticosteroids like prednisone and having a current or past history of eye diseases such as glaucoma, herpes infection, or inflammation inside the eye or a history of eye injury or previous eye surgery.
When Should I Consider Lasik Eye Surgery
When considering LASIK patients should make sure that their eye
the doctor is aware of any eye or medical condition they have because these may contribute to a bad outcome.
In addition, doctors should examine patients for dry eyes, large pupils, and thin corneas since these can also lead to bad outcomes.
Even if you are a good candidate, LASIK can have complications these complications include dry eyes sensitivity to the light, blurred vision and other visual symptoms such as glare, halos, starbursts, and double vision.
Such symptoms are commonly mild and temporary but can become severe and permanent leading to loss of vision interference with your usual activities and pain.
Your vision may not be fully corrected after the procedure and so you may require additional surgery to get the desired outcome.
Also, the vision correction you get may not be lasting and could worsen over time these are just some of the risks associated with LASIK.
After LASIK surgery patients may still need to wear glasses to perform certain tasks also LASIK can't reverse presbyopia that's the difficulty with near vision that comes with aging.
So patients may need to wear glasses for close work and reading even if they didn't need them before surgery. Ask your doctor to provide you with your eye measurements before the LASIK surgery.
You should keep them with your other important papers in case you need cataract surgery in the future. They will help your doctor calculate the lens implant power.
You can find a sample form on the internet by going to geteyesmart.org and search for k-card. Before discussing LASIK with your eye doctor review the information on the FDA's website, the information can help guide your discussion.
When talking to your eye doctor make sure to discuss the risks and benefits of LASIK eye surgery and your alternatives to getting LASIK surgery. Patients should talk to their eye doctor about what they expect to gain from the surgery.
Before committing to surgery be sure to get the laser manufacturer's patient information booklet or labeling for your Lasik treatment from your eye doctor or FDA's website.
It provides more information on the risks and benefits and what to expect before during and after the procedure. Read the consent form carefully and ask questions about anything you don't understand before signing it.
Remember LASIK is surgery, patients should get the facts before deciding whether the procedure is right for them.
