PRK vs. Lasik Eye Surgery

Posted on January 21, 2012 by JaneWhite

PRK vs. Lasik Eye SurgeryPRK and LASIK laser eye surgery are both laser eye surgeries that are used to correct something wrong with your eye sight. Although both eye surgeries essentially do the same thing there are many differences between the two. You need to know their vast differences to choose the correct laser eye surgery for yourself.

What is Laser Eye Surgery?

Laser is a medical procedure that is done by an eye surgeon. This kind of procedure is often used so someone doesn’t have to wear glasses or contact lenses. Laser eye surgery reshapes your cornea, and the front part of your eye. This makes your eye refocus, hopefully giving you vision that is less dependant on glasses or contact lenses. There are currently two very popular laser eye surgery procedures: LASIK (Laser-assisted in Sitsu keratomileusis) and PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy).

What is PRK Laser Eye Surgery?

PRK is the second most popular laser eye surgery available. This surgery reshapes the cornea of your eye with the help of an Excimer laser. In this procedure, the surgeon will remove the outer most layer of the cornea, and then the surgery is preformed on the tissue underneath. The laser used in this procedure (Excimer) is a small ultra-violet laser light. This laser is cool to the touch, and reshapes the cornea with accuracy. When you reshape the cornea you should hopefully have better vision. Most patients that come out of PRK surgery don’t have 20/20 vision. This is however, a good way to regain eye sight that has been lost because of age or problems with your cornea.

What is LASIK Eye Surgery?

The LASIK eye surgery procedure is the first most popular laser eye surgery available. This procedure also reshapes your cornea with the help of the laser you and your surgeon choose. There are exactly two lasers that can be used with LASIK surgery which are both labeled LASIK A and LASIK B. In this procedure the thin outer layer of the cornea is lightly lifted up, and the surgery is performed on both parts of the tissue of the cornea. Most people who come out of LASIK surgery don’t have 20/20 vision, because this surgery is only supposed to help you be able to see clearer without a very strong prescription for glasses or contacts.

What is the Main Difference between PRK and LASIK?

The main difference between LASIK and PRK eye surgery is how the cornea is re-shaped. When you have LASIK surgery they create a small flap with the outside layer of your cornea, and do the procedure on that tissue as well as the tissue underneath the small flap. In PRK laser eye surgery a thin layer of cornea is scraped away and the procedure is done on the tissue underneath that thin layer of cornea.

What Are the Risks of LASIK?

Like any surgery a laser eye surgery has its own unique list of risks. This list of risks that are involved with LASIK eye surgery should help you decide which type of procedure you want done on your eyes. Risks include:

  • Infection
  • Refractive Problems
  • Night Glare
  • Problems or infections in the cornea
  • Pain
  • Protective growth on your cornea flap
  • Prolonged healing process
  • The need for reading glasses or bifocals on people over the age of forty

 

What are the Risks of PRK?

The PRK laser eye surgery has its own set of risks that come along with it. No surgery especially on something as delicate as your eye is 100% effective or safe. Risks of PRK eye surgery include:

  • Infection
  • Glare
  • Seeing Halos
  • Dry Eyes
  • Seeing Badly in Dim Light or at Night
  • Long time Halos around images

How do you Decide What Laser Eye Surgery is Right For You?

Once you have decided with your doctor that your sight can be repaired with laser eye surgery you have to discuss which surgery is the right one for you. First you need to discuss the risks and benefits of each surgery with you eye doctor and the surgeon performing the procedure. They are the expert, and they know what they’re doing. Next, you should ask the advice of your eye doctor. The doctor can tell you which surgery h or she thinks is best based on your medical history. Remember; also take time with your decision. Unless you need an eye surgery done right away it is a good idea to sit and think about each surgery option. Don’t rush the decision, this is your health and you need to not be pressured into making a decision too early. Some facts to help make your decision are listed below:

The LASIK eye surgery is the procedure with the most to date technology with the PRK procedure just a year or two behind. Truthful both surgeries should do the same job, but the LASIK surgery has a better success rate.

  • The PRK surgery is a cheaper option, and some insurance won’t pay for LASIK.
  • LASIK has a few long-term side-effects that could damage the health of someone with diabetes or heart problems.
  • PRK also has long-term side effects such as not being able to see well in dim lighting or the dark. This could be a problem for people who must drive very late at night or early in the morning.

Hopefully you can make the correct decision about your eye surgery. Both LASIK and PRK surgeries are FDA approved, and almost any eye surgeon can perform at least one of the procedures. Both surgeries will also hopefully help you lose some of the dependence for thick glasses or contact lenses.

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Lasik Eye Surgery Side Effects

Posted on January 14, 2012 by JaneWhite

LASIK, PRK, and cosmetic eye surgery all have risks and side-effects. As a patient, it is useful if you know about the side effects of you upcoming procedure. This way you will be prepared for the days following the procedure when you need to recover.

Lasik Eye Surgery Side EffectsBig Side Effects or Risks

There are many small side-effects that can be caused by your eye surgery. However, laser eye surgery also has a few big side-effects that could permanently damage your health. Some of these side-effects include:

  • Possible Blindness
  • Glare at night, and the possibility of not being able to drive at night or in dim light.
  •  Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (DLK)
  • Protective Cornea Coating

Possible Blindness

In some patients there is a possibility that you will be blinded by laser eye surgery. At least 10 out of 10,000 people who have cosmetic eye surgery go blind and only 1 out of 10,000 go blind if they have a LASIK or PRK procedure done. It is more common for those over 35 to go blind as well as those having unneeded cosmetic eye surgeries.

Glare at Night

Because of the procedure people who wear glasses or contacts will often experience a night glare after laser eye surgery. This is because the pupil’s dilate in dark or dim light, and rays of light will shoot off of lenses causing a glare.

Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis

DLK is a condition that can occur after LASIK eye surgery and sometime s after a PRK surgery. This is an inflammation condition also known by the name Sands of theSahara. It is characterized as white grains appearing in your sight a few days after a LASIK or other laser eye surgery. This is a sight-threatening condition and needs to be dealt with efficiently and immediately. Your doctor or surgeon cans prescript a topical steroid for the condition.

Protective Cornea Coating

This growth is caused when certain cells get trapped under the corneal flap formed during LASIK surgery. These growths can be easily scraped away by your surgeon.

Common and Minor Side-Effects

There are many minor side effects that often occur after any type of laser eye surgery. These are things you may want to be aware of, and adjust your home and life to fit these side-effects for the recovery time. These side-effects include:

  • Loss of Crisp Vision
  • Dry Eye
  • Halos
  • Starbursts
  • Overcorrection

Loss of Crisp Vision

This is often described as the loss of sharp vision. A few weeks after surgery you may not be able to see things as defined as you would like to. For a few weeks you may not be able to see things such as fine print, hanging food menus, the guide on your TV, and small details. This often disappears about three weeks into recovery. For older patient it may be up to six weeks.

Dry Eye

Dry eye is one of the most common side-effects that people will experience after laser eye surgery. This will more than likely go away about six weeks into recovery. However, you can buy artificial tears or lubricating eye drops to keep your eyes moist. Dry eye mostly causes discomfort but is not fatal to your sight in any way. However, some older patients may need to use lubricating eye drops for a few months after surgery to ensure that the dry eye doesn’t return.

Halos

Halos are described as rings of light or circles of light that you see around objects. These will normally disappear about two weeks into recovery. However, they may not disappear at night for about six weeks. If halos do not disappear you may want to see your surgeon or eye doctor, and they will check your eyes.

Starbursts

Starburst are almost identical to halos except they are seen only at night, and they look like light exploding around an object. These starburst normally go away about three weeks into recovery. However, some people will experience mild starbursts around bright lights or LED lights at night for a few months after their eye surgery.

Overcorrection

Some nearsighted and farsighted people will experience overcorrection. Sometimes this is done intentionally to compensate for swelling in your eye during the surgery. This can be corrected by resetting the laser to another setting and simply going back in for another surgery. This is not an uncommon side-effect, and is experienced mostly by farsighted people.

It is a surgeon’s job to perform your laser eye surgery. It is your job as a patient to know the side-effects of that surgery. If you know what the side-effects will be of you procedure the more likely you will be comfortable during your recovery time. Remember to see your eye surgeon for follow up appointment and listen to his or her advice about Enhancement surgeries. They are the experts. However, it is good to inform yourself in the best way that you can.

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The Risks of Laser Eye Surgery

Posted on January 7, 2012 by JaneWhite

Laser eye surgery is one of those surgeries that is either done by choice or because it needs to be done. No matter how helpful eye surgery can be it has risks. Whether you get cosmetic, LASIK, or PRK three are going to be risks to the procedure.

The Risks of Laser Eye SurgeryRisks of PRK

PRK is one of the most popular laser eye surgeries available. Although it is not as advanced as LASIK it gets the job done. However, this procedure has both long and short-term risks involved. Some of these risks include:

  • Potential browning of the cornea with age
  • Halos around objects
  • Dry-eye
  • Flattening of cornea
  • Glare in dim light
  • Scars

Risks of LASIK

LASIK eye surgery is the most popular laser eye surgery for fixing sight. It is the most advanced procedure to date, and has a high success rate. This procedure still has its own set of risks to consider though,  including:

  • Under or overcorrection
  • Enhancement procedures
  • Astigmatism that has been increased
  • Haze
  • Dry-Eye
  • Night glare
  • Halos
  • Protective Coating Developing on cornea
  • Scars

Risks of Cosmetic Eye Surgery

Cosmetic eye surgeries are often the choice of the patients. These surgeries are usually not paid for by insurance, but the patient themselves. These types of eye procedures often enhance the physical appearance. A lot of risks are included with these procedures because there is nothing wrong with the eye, and you could actually damage it with unneeded procedures. Some risks include:

  • A pain in the back of the eye
  • Double vision
  • Milia
  • Trouble closing your eye
  • Blindness or vision loss
  • Blurry vision
  • Scars

Dry Eye

After surgery you can have a sandy or even gritty feeling in your eye.  This symptom will often stay around for about three months, however buying artificial tears, or lubricating eye drops can help speed up the recovery of this symptom.

Halos

Halos are small rings of blurry light that are seen around objects. Halos can be both a long and short term side effect. They can hurt your vision, and make it hard to drive in harsh light, or very dim light. It is also a distraction.

Night Glare or Glare n Dim light

Often people who wear contact lenses or glasses will experience night glare or glare in dim light. This is because when the pupil dilates in dim light rays of light in your peripheral vision will scatter causing a glare.

Protective Coating on Cornea

These growths are often called an epithelium growth. This happens when epithelium cells get trapped beneath the flap created for LASIK surgery. To protect the cells the cornea will form a hard protective covering around them. This will often give you blurry vision. These protective coatings can be easily scrapped away by your doctor.

Haze

After any eye surgery you can often have a haze that doesn’t affect your vision. This haze is actually a cell growth. It is often aggravated in ultra-violet light which will cause it to itch and sting.

Blindness of Vision Loss

Blindness often occurs with patients that have cosmetic eye surgery done. This is because the procedure is not actually needed and causes problems in your eye. 10 out of 1,000 people who had cosmetic surgery on their eyes go blind; while only 1 out of 1,000 go blind after having LASIK or PRK done on their eyes. The main cause is weather the surgery is needed or if it is just for beauty reasons.

Enhancement Procedures

Enhancement procedures are surgeries that are done by your eye surgeon based on the success of the original surgery. However, these surgeries are NOT the patients’ choice! They are chosen by your doctor after you sign the agreement form. If you are not comfortable with not being able to make your own decisions you should check over your agreement form carefully before signing.

Under or Over Correction

Under correction and over correction happen when the laser in LASIK surgery is set wrong. Both can be fixed with other surgeries. Under correction is ore common than over correction.

Milia

This often happens after cosmetic eye surgery. Skin cysts that are small form on the scar line. This is normally temporary and can be corrected by your body. However, it is sometimes necessary to remove them with surgery.

Trouble Closing Your Eye

This is often a temporary side effect. Sometimes it requires corrective surgery. However, this is rare.

Scars

Scars are normal with any surgery. However the incision for any eye surgery (that isn’t on eye lids or for wrinkles) is in the eye. These are not normally noticeable even if they scar.

Sometimes, if the risks outweigh the benefits eye surgery is not something you want to consider. However, if you need the surgery and you feel that the benefits outweigh the risks you should go for it. Eye surgeries can be painful and risky but if it is needed you can make your eye sight amazingly clear.

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