LASIK Eye Surgery Complications

Posted on November 25, 2011 by MarthaCook

LASIK Eye Surgery ComplicationsLasik eye surgery is a procedure to correct both nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia). Only an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) can tell you if you are a good candidate for LASIK. After a complete eye examination, including measurements of the eye, the doctor will give you his or her opinion about whether the surgery will be effective.

LASIK Surgery

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis is one form of refractive surgery. When the cornea (the clear covering over the eye) is slightly misshapen, the light cannot focus properly on the retina, thus the images seen are blurry. In this type of surgery, the cornea is gently pulled back, using either a laser or blade to make the incision, and a hinge is left in one end. The flap is then folded, revealing the stroma, or middle section of the cornea. A computer-controlled laser removes a portion of the stroma and the flap is reattached.

Typically those who have refractive surgery are very happy with the outcome, yet as with any medical procedure, there can be some risk. You should explore the negatives and positives of this treatment before making an informed decision. It is important to carefully weigh the risk and benefits of such a procedure, considering your expectations, age, health, and comfort with wearing glasses or contact lenses.

Possible Risks

Although rare, some people lose vision in the eye after refractive surgery. This loss of vision may not be able to be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or further surgery.

After surgery, some people develop disturbing visual symptoms, including a halo effect, glare, and/or double vision. These can all seriously compromise nighttime vision. Additionally, after treatment some patient do not see as well in situations of low light and contrast, such as on foggy days or at night.

Not all patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses or contacts. You may require additional treatment to achieve better visual acuity, but further treatment may not be recommended. If you used reading glasses before surgery, you may still need reading glasses after surgery.

Another side effect of surgery may be the development of severe dry eye syndrome. This happens when your eye doesn’t manufacture enough liquid to keep it comfortable. Besides being irritating, the lack of moisture may cause issues with your vision, including sporadic blurring. There is some chance that a dry eye condition can become permanent. Treatments for this condition may include eye drops or other options.

Those who suffer from farsightedness may get results that diminish with age. There is a test for this where the doctor will take measurements before using drops to dilate your eyes and again after the drops. If you are farsighted, discuss this possibility with your doctor before deciding to have surgery.

Additional Complications

  • Over- or under-correction – These problems often can be improved with glasses, contact lenses or another surgery.
  • Corneal infection
  • Decrease in sharpness, crispness, or contrast sensitivity – This means that objects may appear fuzzy or grayish, even though you may have 20/20 vision. This is referred to as “Lasik 20/20 or 20/40.”
  • Flap problems – After surgery one complication might be a distorted cornea. This occurs when the flap heals unevenly. This problem can only be fixed with a corneal transplant. Other issues can include the growth of extra cells under the flap, having the flap be incomplete or lopsided. These issues may need extra surgeries.
  • Loss of visual acuity – You would not be able to see as well after surgery, even with glasses or contacts, as you did with glasses or contacts before surgery.

Side Effects

Side effects of LASIK typically last for a few days or weeks. Rarely one or more of the side effects can be permanent. Typical side effects include:

  • Pain or discomfort
  • Blurry or hazy vision
  • Scratchy Eyes
  • Dry eye
  • Glare
  • Night driving issues, seeing a starburst or halo, you may need glasses to correct this issue
  • Light sensitivity
  • Red or pink areas on the white of the eye

Summary

Even though most people experience better vision with LASIK surgery, there are risks to undergoing the procedure, and possible complications. Also, LASIK is a relatively new technology and so long-term data is not available. LASIK eye surgery has been available since the late 1990s so there has been about two decades to explore results. Obviously long-term studies are minimal, especially on many of the newer forms of technology.

Some of the complications your doctor will explain to you include extreme dryness of the eye, loss of visual acuity, light sensitivity, the loss of night vision or vision in low contract situations.

More serious complications include irregular healing that may lead to a misshapen cornea, infection of the cornea and improper reattachment of the flap, leading to more surgery. Careful people research the pros and cons of LASIK eye surgery and thoroughly discuss concerns with their eye doctor.

Posted in After Surgery | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Laser Eyelid Surgery

Posted on November 18, 2011 by MarthaCook

Laser Eyelid SurgeryLaser eyelid surgery, which is sometimes called laser blepharoplasty, is typically used to get rid of or minimize the excess skin that causes baggy or droopy eyelids. This is often a cosmetic process to eliminate the signs of aging. Use of a laser for this surgery provides precision, and by cauterizing many of the blood vessels so there is minimal blood loss, creating almost no swelling or bruising. This means recovery time is decreased. Typically eyelid surgery is an outpatient procedure. This means you don’t have to spend the night but can go home after one or two hours post-surgery.

Why Have Laser Eyelid Surgery?

Often laser eyelid surgery is done for cosmetic reasons, but a severely drooping upper eyelid can impede your vision. Eyelid surgery can correct:

  • Bags under the eyes
  • Drooping eyes
  • A look of fatigue
  • Eyelids obstructing vision
  • Eyelids obstructing the use of cosmetics

Who Can or Cannot Have This Surgery?

Typically candidates for eye surgery are at least in their thirties, and often much older. If younger, there is generally a genetic predisposition to either bags under the eyes or drooping eyelids. Both men and women seek this surgery, and must be healthy in both mind and body.

The doctor will review both medical history and the patient’s expectations, verifying that what they want to accomplish is realistic. There are some medical conditions that can keep you from getting laser eyelid surgery or that might require more care during and after surgery.

If you have any of the below conditions you should make sure your ophthalmologist is aware of them:

  • Thyroid problems that can include hypothyroidism or Graves’ disease
  • Dry eyes due to insufficient tears
  • High blood pressure or any circulatory problems
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Diabetes
  • A detached retina
  • Glaucoma or a history of glaucoma in your family

Before Surgery

Eyelid surgery is usually performed using a topical anesthetic, but some doctors and their patients prefer a general anesthetic. Once the surgery is scheduled you will be given specific instructions on preparing for laser eyelid surgery. It is important to follow these directions as they can affect the outcome of your surgery and recovery.

Surgery may be rescheduled if you get a cold or any type of eye or skin infection. You won’t be able to drive yourself home, so make sure to arrange alternate transportation and for someone to stay with you and assist for a couple of days following surgery.

Typically you will need to wear a bandage or eye covering and you will have been treated with an eye ointment following surgery. Patients are instructed to keep their head elevated for several days, and to use cold compresses to reduce swelling and bruising.

Upper Lid

With sun damage and ageing the skin on the upper lid often droops and sags. This can be a purely cosmetic issue, or in the skin may actually hang down far enough to restrict your vision. Besides drooping, candidates for eyelid surgery may have fat deposits on the upper eyelid.

Laser blepharoplasty is a procedure that removes surplus skin, fat, or both. When the surgery is finished, the patient will have a very thin, barely visible scar that is typically hidden in the upper eyelid crease. The scar will fade over the first few weeks or months, and if desired it can be covered with make-up after a few days.

Lower Lid

Fat deposits under the eye can cause baggy lower eyelids. You can’t diet these deposits away as they are genetic. Often these deposits are called ‘bags’ and can cause a shadow below the eye which makes the patient look tired. Once the fat is removed from this area the skin sits correctly on the underlying structures and wrinkles are improved. The surgery is performed from the inner surface of the lower eyelid so that there are no visible scars on the outside eyelid surface.

Advantages of Laser Eyelid Surgery

Laser eyelid surgery is performed by plastic or cosmetic surgeons. The surgery can be performed using a laser to make a small cut on the outside of the eyelid or even from the inside the eyelid. Because the laser actually seals some of the blood vessels, the patients bleed less than those who have traditional surgery. This allows the surgeon to see clearly during the procedure.

Advantages to laser eyelid surgery include the lack of scarring, less severe bruising or discoloration of the skin, and reduced swelling. The recovery time following a laser eyelid surgery is typically shorter than with traditional eyelid surgery.

Possible Complications

Typically laser eyelid surgery has few complications. Minor bruising and swelling around the eye may last up to a month, more commonly disappearing after a week or two.

In the past, traditional eyelid surgery could infrequently cause the eye to be red, or there could be some other damage. This is less likely to occur when the surgery is done by laser.

Any type of surgery opens up the risk of infection, bleeding, or may leave a scar that can be seen. Again with laser surgery these results aren’t typical. There can be a temporary inflammation on the site that may keep you from opening or closing your eyes. It may also cause your eyes to tear, or to be dry. For a short time your vision might be blurry. In a few cases you may need a second surgery to correct any lingering problems.

Posted in Basics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Laser Eye Surgery for Astigmatism

Posted on November 11, 2011 by MarthaCook

Laser Eye Surgery for AstigmatismLaser eye surgery for astigmatism is more complex than the surgeries done in the treatment of myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness). Even though it is more complicated, laser surgery has been found to be very effective in correcting astigmatism.

What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is very common; in fact most people have some form of this vision issue. Astigmatism is diagnosed when an eye doctor sees that your cornea is shaped a little like a football instead of being somewhat round. This can cause blurry vision, either all around or from specific distances, depending on the severity of the astigmatism. When the cornea is shaped like this, light does not focus properly on the back of your eye (retina). Astigmatism is a fairly common refractory vision problem, although its causes are unclear. It may be hereditary.

Symptoms of Astigmatism

Astigmatism can cause all sorts of problems including:

  • Eye Strain
  • Distorted vision
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Out of focus vision from specific distances

Degrees of Astigmatism

Depending on how out of shape the cornea is will determine the degree of your Astigmatism. This vision problem is calculated in terms of diopters, cylinder meridian, or axis. In diopters, a mild astigmatism is less than 1.00 diopter, while a more moderate astigmatism is from 1.00 to 2.00 diopters. A severe astigmatism is from 2.00 to 3.00 diopters and an extreme astigmatism is measured above 3.00 diopters. Your ophthalmologist can measure your level of astigmatism and give you the probable outcomes on the effectiveness of surgery related to your measurement.

Can You Have Laser Surgery for Astigmatism?

Technologies change, and those who were not eligible for laser surgery just a few years ago might be a candidate today. Doctors can now combine procedures to correct astigmatism or correct both astigmatism and some other vision difficulty. So if you haven’t been able to have laser surgery in the past due to having astigmatism, you may want to check with your ophthalmologist again.

The decision as to which technique or combination of techniques is best for any individual should be determined based on the exact nature of the vision problem during the consultation with an ophthalmic specialist. He or she can determine what is best for the patient based on health, age, lifestyle and other factors.

Laser Eye Surgery for Astigmatism

There are basically three types of laser eye surgeries for this condition, LASIK, LASEK, and PRK.

  • LASIK Surgery – Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis is a type of eye surgery used to correct many forms of vision issues, including astigmatism. During LASIK a microkeratome or small knife is used to create a small opening in the membrane of the cornea. This flap is lifted to gain access to the stroma, or middle layer of the cornea. Then using an excimer laser, the surgeon reshapes the cornea in order to reflect light properly and increase vision. Once the cornea has been corrected, the small piece of membrane is reattached and then covered with a contact lens for recovery. The healing time for LASIK eye surgery is much shorter than LASEK surgery.
  • LASEK surgery – Laser-Assisted Sub Epithelial Keratomileusis is typically used on those who don’t qualify for LASIK. Often this is because the patient has a steeper cornea, or one that is too thin. In LASEK surgery, the thin cornea membrane is cut with a fine blade, and then a weak alcohol solution is applied to the eye. This solution helps loosen the edges of the epithelium or the outer layer of the cornea. Once the edges of the epithelium are loose, the alcohol solution is removed from the eye. A tiny instrument is used to move the thin layer away from the eye. The surgeon then applies laser pulses, utilizing the excimer laser on the cornea surface to change its form. Once the cornea’s shape has been changed, the epithelial flap is placed back on the surface of the eye. This type of surgery generally requires a longer period of healing than LASIK.
  • Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) – Photorefractive keratectomy is often called surface ablation. The cornea’s surface is removed, exposing the middle layer which allows the surgeon to use an excimer laser to change the shape of the stroma. This surgery also can involve a longer healing time, which is its main disadvantage.

Summary

People with astigmatism have three types of laser surgery from which to choose. Talk to your ophthalmologist about whether PRK, LASIK, or LASEK is right for your level of astigmatism, even if you did this a few years ago. Technologies and proceedures have evolved that may now allow you to take advantage of laser eye surgery for astigmatism. Each of these surgeries can be safe, effective methods for correcting astigmatism. As with any surgery, there can be risks and complications. Make sure you know what these are before choosing which, if any, surgery is right for you.

Posted in Types | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment