Eye Laser Surgery is a procedure that can dramatically improve your vision by changing the way your eyes focus light. This treatment can correct common refractive errors including nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness and astigmatism.
It can also be used to treat glaucoma.
During the procedure, your doctor will use a laser to create a flap of tissue on your cornea. This flap will then be folded back and reshaped to refract light better. The surgeon will do this using a computer guided laser.
Once the flap has been reshaped, it is replaced and secured to your cornea. This is called laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, or LASIK. The reshaping of the cornea takes place with an excimer laser, which is a type of medical laser that uses high-energy pulses to gently sculpt and reshape tissues.
The reshaping is very precise, because the surgeon can rely on the 3D images of your cornea that they took during diagnostic corneal mapping. This means that your results will be very accurate and long-lasting.
You may experience some discomfort, pain or itching during the procedure. Your doctor will give you some medication to help. You will need to rest your eye for several hours after the procedure and avoid rubbing or scratching your eyes.
Some people may need to have a follow-up visit to see if the laser treatment Click here has been effective. If the treatment hasn’t worked, you may need to go on glaucoma medicine or get a different type of eye surgery called refractive lens exchange, or RLE.
This is a very similar surgery to cataract surgery, but instead of the natural lens being removed and replaced with a new artificial one, the surface of your cornea is reshaped to correct vision problems that are caused by the shape of the natural cornea.
After your eye heals, you can usually expect to have excellent vision, although it will take several weeks for the treatment to be fully effective. If you do have any side effects, they are generally mild and will go away within a few days.
Your doctor will likely recommend wearing a shield over your eyes at night to prevent rubbing, as it can cause damage to the treated area. This will also protect your eyes from infection and other possible complications.
It is not uncommon to have dry eyes, or a sore or itchy eye after laser surgery. Lubricating eye drops can be helpful to relieve these symptoms.
In addition, some people may experience glare or halo, double or blurry vision or other problems with their vision. This can be an indication that you are experiencing an underlying problem.
There are many different types of laser treatments for refractive errors, and your surgeon will be able to help you decide which option is best for your particular needs. The most commonly used types of laser refractive procedures are LASIK and PRK.