Laser Eye Treatment
February 15, 2010
One must take care when choosing a type of laser eye treatment, though some aspects are the same for all. Each type is used to reshape a patient’s cornea. If one is nearsighted, the cornea must be flattened. Farsighted individuals will need the opposite, resulting in a steeper cornea. Astigmatism requires lasers to smooth the surface of the eye into a more regular shape. Regardless of the procedure used, doctors generally recommend not rubbing one’s eyes after surgery, using antibiotic drops, and getting lots of rest. The risks include problems with night vision, infection, and discomfort during the healing process.
LASIK surgery corrects near and farsightedness as well as astigmatism by cutting a thick flap in the cornea and using a laser to reshape the area found beneath. The flap is cut by a laser (bladeless) or a bladed tool (microkeratome), and surgeons disagree about which is better. Bladeless surgeries come with a higher risk of the cornea flap swelling and may cause transient light sensitivity. Microkeratome surgery is thought by some to be less painful and faster but also comes with risks. The cornea flap may become detached or reform improperly, and eye tissue damage may occur. Surgeons argue that these problems can occur with either method of flap-cutting. The surgery usually takes under 5 minutes.
PRK also corrects astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness, but the surgery requires no cornea flap to be cut. Instead, a laser removes small amounts of tissue from the surface of the eye to reshape the cornea. The risks associated with PRK are similar to bladeless LASIK surgery, and the procedure typically takes less than 1 minute to perform. However, healing time is slower and may cause more discomfort than LASIK, though the surgery itself causes no pain.
LASEK is a newer version of PRK. The major difference is that LASEK uses alcohol to remove the epithelial layer from the eye’s surface before using a laser, while PRK removes the layer completely. The surgery is generally used for patients whose corneas are too thin or steep for LASIK surgery, though many experts see nothing beneficial about using LASEK rather than PRK because the procedure is said to be less comfortable and heals slower than both LASIK and PRK.
Epi-LASIK removes the epithelial layer like LASEK, but instead of alcohol, a plastic blade is sometimes used. The surgery is more fitting for people who are nearsighted, and fewer people complain about discomfort than do LASEK or PRK patients.
Quality laser eye treatments usually cost between $1,750 and $3,000 regardless of type; beware of bargain prices and request the total cost in writing. Finally, remember that the key to an effective laser treatment is a highly-skilled surgeon.
Related posts:
- Corrective Eye Surgery
- Wavefront Laser Eye Surgery
- Laser Eye Surgery
- PRK Laser Eye Surgery
- Understand the Different Types of Lasik Surgery