The LASIK Directory Blog

While LASIK surgery has enabled millions of people across the world to improve refractive errors and get rid of glasses and contact lenses, the procedure is not for everyone. For various reasons, including thin corneas, abnormally shaped corneas, and being too nearsighted, there are many people who are not ideal candidates for LASIK.

Fortunately, there are many alternatives to LASIK available. It is important to consult an eye surgeon who has experience with many different procedures and can recommend the right one for your needs.

Some common alternatives to LASIK include:

• PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) is a procedure where a laser reshapes the surface of your cornea. Unlike LASIK, there is no flap cut into your cornea, which may cut down on the risk of dry eye associated with LASIK.
  
• CK (conductive keratoplasty) uses radiofrequency waves to correct refractive errors such as farsightedness or astigmatism. The radiofrequency waves are applied to the edge of your cornea to correct your vision problems.
  
• Implantable contact lenses provide patients whose nearsightedness is too severe for LASIK or PRK an excellent option for vision correction. An incision is made in the eye so that a hard, plastic lens can be inserted in front of your eye's natural lens.
  
• Refractive lens exchange replaces your eye's natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). It very similar to cataract surgery and is an excellent option for patients who are not suitable candidates for LASIK.
  

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.

Implantable contact lenses offer patients another option to correct refractive errors in their vision. The procedure is very safe and has been around for more than 15 years, although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approved it for use in the United States a few years ago.

There are many people who are not ideal candidates for LASIK surgery due to overly thin corneas, abnormally shaped corneas, or having too strong of a prescription. Implantable contact lenses provide patients who cannot undergo LASIK with an ability to correct their vision and get rid of their glasses or contacts once and for all.

Implantable contact lenses are made from an organic collagen-based protein material called Collamer. They are thin, pliable, and undetectable to others once placed in your eye. Since they are permanently implanted in your eye, they reduce the risk of infection commonly associated with regular contact lenses.

The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is similar to cataract surgery, except you will not have your natural lens removed. Patients are awake throughout the entire procedure and are given a topical anesthetic to numb the eye. Your ophthalmologist will make an incision three millimeters wide in your cornea. The implantable contact lens will then be inserted into your eye. It is placed behind the iris and in front of your eye's natural lens.

The healing process takes about a month. Patients generally see an improvement in their vision within a few hours. You will not require stitches for the incision, and you will be able to return to work the next day. You will need to use eye drops for approximately three weeks after having surgery.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.

Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann may require a second LASIK procedure to correct his vision issues. He currently suffers from blurry vision and dryness in his left eye. He has an appointment with his ophthalmologist today to determine whether he will require additional laser eye surgery to repair the condition.

McCann went for LASIK surgery after the 2007 season and experienced no vision problems throughout the 2008 season. If he needs additional surgery, he will most likely spend some time on the disabled list while his eyes heal. McCann has been taking antibiotic ointment drops to help with his condition. He is currently mired in a 1-for-20 slump.

Before doctors recommend a second LASIK procedure for McCann, they will try to determine the exact cause of the problem. Doctors are currently uncertain whether the problem stems from dryness, an irritant, or a tear-duct tissue.

If doctors do decide to go forward with additional LASIK, it will most likely be a minor operation to correct issues stemming from his first surgery.

McCain is not the only prominent baseball player considering LASIK at the moment. Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was supposed to have LASIK performed last month, but decided to put the procedure off until the end of the season.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

As a result of the many rapid advances in LASIK technology, laser eye surgery has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Many people across the country have opted for LASIK surgery as an alternative to the hassles of dealing with contact lenses or eye glasses on a daily basis.

But how do you know if the surgery is right for you?

An ideal candidate for LASIK is over the age of 18 with a moderate refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism). Results are not always as consistent for people with very strong prescriptions. Furthermore, your vision must be stable for one to two years in order to undergo laser eye surgery.

There are a few other factors that will affect whether or not LASIK is right for you. If you have an irregularly shaped cornea or an overly thin cornea, you will run a greater risk of complications. Also, if you are prone to dry eyes before having LASIK, you will most likely experience severe dry eyes after your surgery. You may want to think carefully about this before opting for the procedure.

Overall, LASIK has become very routine and safe and yields a very high percentage of successful procedures. The satisfaction rate among LASIK patients is one of the highest for any elective surgery procedure. So if you are sick and tired of wearing contacts or glasses every day, you may want to consult your ophthalmologist to see if LASIK is right for you.

You can use the links at the bottom of the page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

Recently, 19 separate studies on patient satisfaction have revealed that almost all LASIK patients are happy with the results of their surgery. These studies analyzed data spanning almost 20 years. According to the findings, approximately 95% of patients were satisfied with the results of their LASIK surgery.

This data indicates that LASIK compares very favorably with other elective surgery procedures. In fact, it has one of the highest success and satisfaction rates of any elective procedure.

The studies conducted analyzed data from LASIK patients in Egypt, France, India, Iran, Ireland, the Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the U.A.E., Great Britain, and the United States. The satisfaction rates were relatively consistent for each country studied.

In the studies focusing on myopia, 95.3% of the 1,901 patients surveyed indicated that they were satisfied with their results. In the studies focusing on hyperopia procedures, 96.3% of the 297 patients questioned were satisfied.

The results were also consistent over time. The satisfaction rate for patients who underwent LASIK between 1995 and 2000 was 96%. Between 2001 and 2003, the rate was 94.6%, a difference that is not statistically significant.

Due to rapid advances in LASIK technology, the procedure has become very safe, efficient, and routine in recent years. With such high satisfaction rates, LASIK ranks among one of the most effective elective procedures available.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

More than 700,000 Americans opt for LASIK surgery each year to correct refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Advances in LASIK technology have made the procedure routine and relatively safe, and the vast majority of LASIK patients are very happy with the results. However, complications do occur from time to time, and there are many people who end up regretting their decision to undergo LASIK.

Sadly, many of these cases could be easily avoided by more thorough screening by the ophthalmologist during the diagnostic process. By making sure a person is an ideal candidate for LASIK, ophthalmologists can severely reduce the instances of poor results and dissatisfied patients.

The most common complications from LASIK include dry eyes and night vision problems, such as halos, glare, or starbursts. Some patients may also experience double vision after their procedure. The instances of these complications could be reduced by screening out poor candidates who have dry eyes, large pupils, or irregularly shaped corneas.

However, there is another factor in determining candidacy for LASIK that has nothing to do with your eyes. A recent study indicates that people who are prone to depression are three times as likely to be dissatisfied with their LASIK results as patients who are less prone to depression. By screening for depression before deciding to perform LASIK on a patient, ophthalmologists can substantially increase the satisfaction rate of their patients.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

Many laser eye surgeons find that they are frequently asked the same question at an initial consultation with a patient: "Does LASIK surgery hurt?" Fortunately, the answer to this question is no.

Before surgery, LASIK patients are given topical anesthetic eye drops to numb the eye. This ensures that you will not feel any pain during your laser eye surgery. However, you may feel a brief sensation of pressure while your ophthalmologist applies the vacuum ring to stabilize your eye.

Many patients worry that the blade used to create the corneal flap before surgery will cause pain. However, this is not the case. Furthermore, advances in LASIK technology provide you with a bladeless option for your LASIK procedure. By opting for Intralase, your corneal flap will be created with a laser instead of a blade.

Some patients experience a mild burning sensation for a few hours following their surgery. However, this is very minor and resembles the sensation your eyes feel after swimming in a chlorinated pool.

You will generally feel fine within a few hours of your surgery, and by the following morning, you will be amazed at the improvement to your eyesight.

You can use the links at the bottom of the page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

Many Americans suffer from refractive disorders such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, forcing them to endure the inconvenience of glasses or contact lenses every day of their lives. While these vision correction methods enable people to see well enough to go about their daily lives, they are far from ideal solutions to the problem.

Glasses and contact lenses can adversely impact many areas of your life. Many people experience dry eyes from wearing contact lenses at work, especially when they spend all day in front of a computer screen. Others wearing glasses suffer from headaches due to the weight of their glasses on the bridge of their nose, making it difficult to perform work tasks.

Contacts and glasses can also impair your ability to participate in athletics or other vigorous activities. Sports such as swimming or diving create a problem for contact lens wearers, since water can easily get into your eyes and irritate your lenses. Other activities may cause sweat to get into your lenses, causing irritation in your eyes, while many athletes run the risk of breaking their glasses when wearing them while participating in sports.

LASIK surgery offers you a way to achieve excellent vision so that you can be rid of the hassles of glasses and contact lenses once and for all. Advances in LASIK technology have made the procedure very safe and effective. The majority of LASIK patients do not need corrective lenses after surgery, and they experience very few, if any, complications associated with the procedure.

If you are tired of dealing with glasses or contact lenses every day, you may want to visit your ophthalmologist to find out if you are an ideal candidate for LASIK.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.